


The Tale of the Mikazuki

by wanpanwoman



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Biting, Bittersweet Ending, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, F/M, Gratuitous Violence, Historical Accuracy, Knotting, Loss of Virginity, Married Life, OCs with major plot relevance, Older Man/Younger Woman, Some fluff too, best attempt at writing everyone in-character, character torture, dog behavior, highs & lows, my writing is very very very explicit please keep that in mind if you decide to read!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25101067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanpanwoman/pseuds/wanpanwoman
Summary: Rin hoped the day she turned fifteen she would be able to travel with her Lord once again, but instead she was greeted with a marriage proposal. Accepting such a request was both the greatest and the worst decision she made in her short life.
Relationships: Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 147





	1. Youth

**Author's Note:**

> I'm basing this fic on ‘The tale of the Heike’ which is a Japanese epic dating from the kamakura era, which recounts the spoils & struggles of the short-lived Taira clan. I’m a massive history nerd so I’ll be inserting a lot of random historical facts into the fic, I’ll make sure it’s all easy to understand though. Enjoy & please leave feedback!

An icy cool gust of wind kissed the girl’s cheeks as she collected herbs from the valley overlooking her village. Toes squirming in the blades of grass, the girl smiled gently to herself. 

It was the sign Rin needed to know she was to turn fifteen years of age. As soon as the leaves turned that ever-so-slightly golden hue just before the cold weather entirely overtook the lands, she knew it was the time of her birth. She figured the exact day would only take about a week from now. 

Rin had been telling herself for years that fifteen would be the age she would take up her Lord’s offer on traveling with him again. How she wanted things to be the way they were more than anything. She yearned to return to the life of a vagrant; traveling the lands, watching her Lord best enemies from weak to strong, eating off the earth, sleeping under the stars, even bickering with her Lord’s most loyal servant. Not that she didn’t appreciate living in a human village, of course. She learned so much from the women of the village, especially matters concerning the inner workings of the female body, things a hardened warlord and a little green old man would know absolutely nothing about. She learned to accept that her Lord’s decision on leaving her in this village to mature was a wise one. 

The girl gleefully skipped down the hill to hand off the very important herbs to Sango. Today was a very important day, because tomorrow was to be a monumentous occasion. Inuyasha and Kagome were finally returning to the village after 2 long years of absence, from a strange land called “Yuroppe.” Because of this, Kaede had arranged a grand festival to celebrate the young couple’s return. These herbs Rin carefully hand-picked were to go towards making a delicious roast boar Sango hunted early in the morning, just the thought made her salivate. 

The village was in a lively mood this day, livelier than it had been in years. When Inuyasha and Kagome left on their expedition, Rin felt a great emptiness in her heart. All she had left for consistent companionship were Shippo and Kohaku. Miroku and Sango were busy with their children, and their children, as cute as they always were, were too young and rowdy much of the time. And Kaede, even as her caretaker, was still much involved in the daily happenings of the village. She was very much the pillar that kept everything standing. Then there was her Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken, who would only visit her once a fortnight. These were the visits she always looked forward to the most. They always arrived right on time, and always made certain to bring with them gifts. Anything from fancy silk kimonos, masterfully carved furniture, beautiful paintings, scrolls, delicious delicacies, and so much more. Sometimes these gifts were much too fancy for a common girl like her, so she would on occasion share her bounties with the other villagers. Her Lord never seemed to mind, though. 

“Sango!” The wild-haired girl waved. “I found everything you asked for.” Sango graciously accepted the herbs from Rin’s basket. The young mother looked rather tired for only midday. Rin decided to help with brining bundles of rice and vegetables into the good monk’s residence, the yokai taijiya was burdened by 3, and soon 4, young children after all. The women chatted away about seeing Kagome for so long, debating which of their stories they wanted to tell her first. 

“By the way, Rin, I thought I caught glimpse of Sesshomaru’s herb dragon grazing the meadow earlier. Were you expecting a visit today?” Rin froze in her tracks, dropping a heavy sack of rice. 

With all the commotion going on, Rin had entirely forgotten her Lord’s visit that day. There had been past visits she’d missed for various reasons, but her Lord would seemingly pay it no mind, as he would simply leave the gifts he’d brought her and come visit her another time at his convenience. She prayed she hadn’t missed today’s visit, though. 

Waving Sango an abrupt leave, she ran to the very outskirts of the village, where she would always find her Lord waiting for her. And there he was, that tall, pale figure resting underneath the very same oak tree he always laid by. His long, white tresses blew in the cool breeze of the changing season. Waiting next to his greatness was the tiny ball of anger that was Master Jaken, lazing atop her favorite dragon in the world, A-Un. 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin dashed towards her favorite group of people. 

“Rin,” her Lord began. “I hope you have fared well.”

She smirked at his predictable prosperity. “Yes, my Lord.” 

Just as they greeted one another, right on cue the little green imp made his way to the girl’s bare feet and bowed in a feign of deep respect. “I present to this Rin a gift in the stead of Lord Sesshomaru, as a token of his everlasting kindness.” A recital she heard so many times she couldn’t even begin to count them all. 

Rin clasped her hands together out of habit. “Just for me?! Thank you so much!” She ripped the box out of Master Jaken’s tiny fingers and set herself down by a tree to open her present, ignoring the near silent grumbles rolling off the servant complaining of her rudeness. She gasped as soon as she lifted the top of the smooth wooden box. Inside was an elegant tea set, donned with patterns of cranes in pink and red hues. Its bright colors glistened under the sunlight. 

“This is a most wonderful gift! I can’t wait to use it!” She thanked with a wide smile as she carefully set the box down to her side. 

Sesshomaru silently sat himself next to Rin under the shade, maintaining his signature expression of apathy. “What is it you wish to do today?” He asked with eyes closed. He was always prepared for anything she requested, no matter how random the nature. 

“Well,” Rin sheepishly began. “I thought today we would have a fish catching competition by the river!” 

Jaken waddled over to an adjacent tree with A-Un’s reins in hand. “Count me out.”

“Oh, come on, Master Jaken! Are you afraid I’ll steal your title of Fish Catching Master?” She pouted. 

“Absolutely not! My bones are aching something fierce today.” He snapped back.

“Oh right, it must be old age. You should take it easy, then.” Rin teased, interlocking fingers behind her back.

“I AM NOT OLD- I STILL HAVE A GOOD 1000 YEARS LEFT IN ME!” The imp protested with shaking hands, now more a deep shade of red than a mossy green. 

“I will catch fish with you.” Both the girl and the imp halted their bickering to stare at the great inudaiyokai in complete shock. Sesshomaru sat himself up and casually began his trek to the river nearby. 

“You truly will, my Lord?!” Rin gasped with absolute glee, skipping over to her Lord’s side. “I am so excited!”

At the river, Rin tied up her kosode to her elbows and knees in order to avoid the fabric getting wet. She wasted no time to run straight into the middle of the currant as soon as she was prepared. Lord Sesshomaru glided over the river with utmost elegance, while Jaken pretended to doze off on the sand with A-Un in tow. 

“Pssh, how are you going to catch fish without even touching the water?” Rin teased, puffing her chest. She had this contest in the bag. She was the one who taught Jaken, the self-proclaimed Fish Catching Master, how to catch fish by hand after all.

Brushing off her confidence, Lord Sesshomaru flicked his wrist and materialized his glowing whip in midair, then with one forceful swing at the rushing currant, dozens of fish arose from the water, each one sliced in half. He swung his free hand which resulted in a large gust of wind rushing each carcass neatly to the shoreline. 

“Hey, no fair! I don’t have any yokai powers!” Rin huffed. “The rule is to catch fish with your hands only!”

A “Hmph.” Was all Lord Sesshomaru could muster. But much to his detest, he obeyed the spunky girl’s rules. He folded up each sleeve and straightened his body out to the water, facing the rushing water completely flat. Rin knew she still faced a great challenge, despite the daiyokai’s handicap. 

“Ready, set, go!” Rin dug in the water for her very first catch. Skilfully, she tossed it to the shore and already focused on her next prey. One after another, she masterfully caught each slimy, wiggly sea creature that dared to cross her imaginary barrier. Lord Sesshomaru, once again, used his natural physical superiority to his advantage. With one chop in the water, he managed to spear a single fish on each of his claws. Rin grumbled at his impressive five-in-one catch. 

After a short minute the contest was over, though it was barely a contest at all. Rin caught six fish while Lord Sesshomaru caught an impressive twelve with his handicap, not including the several dozen he sliced up before. Rin accepted defeat. 

“Phew! That was a good workout.” The pepped girl rested her tired hands on her hips. Lord Sesshomaru looked unamused, but she could clearly tell he was having fun. He wouldn’t have even offered to participate if he knew he wasn’t going to be interested, after all. “I think we can head over and collect our bounty, these types of fish would make delicious katsuobushi.” As she was just about to head back to shore, she grazed her foot over something incredibly slippery and slimy. She yipped and fell backwards. 

Lord Sesshomaru locked eyes on the splash she made, only to find just a mere second later Rin sat up and spit out a mouthful of water that unpleasantly invaded her mouth. The girl, completely drenched, picked out a single eel tangled in her hair. The culprit of her fall, one could only presume. 

The young Lord laughed.

It was ever so silent, but Rin could still hear it. She burst out laughing at her own misfortune. 

But the laughing abruptly stopped. 

Rin opened her eyes and caught glimpse of Lord Sesshomaru’s own glassy orbs visibly widened. He quickly averted his gaze away from her. Confused, Rin looked down and noticed the left side of her kosode had entirely slipped down from the weight of the water soaking the fabric, revealing one of her perky breasts in its entirety. The pale breast sat under tiny droplets which reflected the sun, the cold water hardening her nipple to a sharp, deep brown form. 

“Oops!” Was all she reacted with as she hurried to adjust herself back to decency. She laughed off the gaffe, but Lord Sesshomaru was not laughing, which was still completely normal by the way. Master Jaken felt the need to butt in. 

“Honestly, girl, you need to start acting more ladylike! Who is going to marry you if you keep acting like such a boor?” He spat out, just prior to being bonked on the head with a projectile Lord Sesshomaru no doubt picked out of the water while no one was looking. 

As the pair went to shore they, or rather, Master Jaken began to gather all the fish into a makeshift net so Rin could hurdle it into the village with ease. 

“Um, Lord Sesshomaru?” Rin anxiously rubbed her thumbs together while watching Master Jaken wrestle with the net. The tall, pale figure grazed over her small, tanned frame. “May I have a word with you in private?”

The quiet Lord nodded at her request. The two walked into the wood without Master Jaken bearing notice. 

“As you may know, or maybe don’t know, the day of my birth is soon approaching. Once the leaves turn gold, precisely.” She began with the light and airy tone of her soft voice. “If it’s not much trouble, can you come by for a visit?” She knew this was a strange request. She never begged to inconvenience her Lord, not once since he left her in the care of the old miko. Once a fortnight was plenty enough as it was. 

“Rin,” Those golden eyes stared down her own chocolate brown orbs. “Have I, Sesshomaru, not told you long ago that you may call upon me whenever you saw fit?” He was right. He told her when she was young she could call his name at any time, and he would immediately come flying to her. She never once put this promise to the test. She trusted him with all her heart, and she fortunately never faced any hardship all these years in the village, so there was no need to call upon him unnecessarily. 

“So, will you come to see me? When the leaves turn gold?” The girl’s fingers tangled together in a begging motion. 

Lord Sesshomaru turned his gaze from her form. “Hn.” That was all Rin needed to hear for her heart to flutter with joy. She knew she now had the perfect opportunity to confess to her Lord her innermost desire; to once again join her Lord on his travels. 

Clasping her hands behind her back, she walked a little further ahead from the inuyokai. “You know, I always hated saying goodbye to you.” She didn’t have to turn around to know she had his attention. “When I was younger…I wanted to be by your side forever. That much is still true. But at least now I know it’s a selfish request.” She forced a warm gust of breath out. “What I’m trying to say is, I don’t ever want to be a burden to you. I simply want to follow you wherever you find yourself, if you will allow me to.” This was a good prelude to her formal request she was still planning in her thoughts.

Now she turned to face him directly. She wasn’t expecting at all what she was met with. 

In those long, clawed fingers of her Lord’s hand, laid a single Kikyo flower. As deep and purple as the horizon in the very last moments the sun sets for the night. Her eyes locked on his offering, centered just within her reach. She would have cried at such a thoughtful gesture from her Lord had all that time traveling with him hadn’t calloused her emotions just slightly so. 

“This is for me?” She graciously received the single flower from his hand and looked up at him with glee. She could tell his eyes were smiling right back at her. 

It was another act from her Lord that genuinely surprised her. He took his hand and placed in on her rosy cheek. His palm almost felt like fire against her cold skin, made that way from falling in the river moments before. Her eyes which glowed with delight quickly signaled bewilderment. Her Lord looked as if he was about to speak, but something was eating his words before he had the chance to part his lips. The pair stood there frozen for what seemed like an eternity. Rin decided she should be the one to break the silence. “Lord Sesshomaru…?”

Her reaction was the prompt he needed to compose himself. Lord Sesshomaru removed his hand and averted his gaze once more. “It’s getting late, and your clothes are soaking wet. It’s time you returned to the old miko.”

With the setting sun, the group of friends parted and the main members floated away into the sky. A grounded Rin watched them with envy. Soon, she thought, days like these would be her every day. She threw the heavy sack over her shoulder and made her way back to Kaede’s hut. 

“Oh my, child, you’re completely drenched!” The old woman exhaled, attending to the fire pit, boiling a fresh pot of water for tea. “Let’s get you changed before you catch a cold, that’s the last thing we need before Kagome and Inuyasha’s arrival.” Kaede hurried Rin inside the hut, trying to ignore the hefty bag of fish she brought home. 

“I’m sorry Kaede, but look at what I was able to bring back!” Rin proudly stood over her booty she took every credit for. 

“I see that,” The old woman slid the heavy fabric off the girl’s icy, bony body. “Ye must have had a productive day.”

“Very much so!” Rin cheered with high energy, her body finally succumbing to the cold. She began shivering as she stood completely bare in the middle of the room. 

“Sit by the fire, girl, while I fetch ye some warm clothing.” 

After getting washed, dressed, and fed, Rin wasted no time drifting soundly to sleep next to the cooling embers the fire pit left behind. Kaede watched over the girl in deep contemplation before turning in for the night herself. 

The next morning felt like such a blessing to Rin. It was only a few days more until she could be together forever with her Lord Sesshomaru. And Master Jaken and A-Un, too. Still, she needed to have a talk with Kaede before she made the big declaration. But for now, all the focus was to go to her old friends who were returning to the village today. That is why she put extra care into her hair that morning, and picked out the nicest kimono Lord Sesshomaru gifted her in recent memory. It was sky blue plastered with faded pink peonies throughout the fabric. 

Before heading out for the day, she pleaded with Kaede to help her finish making her present for Inuyasha and Kagome; mooncakes with yuzu jelly, which happened to be Inuyasha’s favorite. The first time he tried Rin’s specialty he never stopped pestering her about making them again. Of course she obliged, whenever she was lucky enough to find an extra-ripe yuzu. 

With her offering neatly packed in a decorative wooden box, Rin left for the good monk’s home. She was to help Sango with last minute decorations that morning. On the way to the growing family’s residence, the girl looked on into the far off valley, still shrouded under the morning dew’s mist. Centered within she could have sworn she noticed a figure in the edge of the valley.

She wasn’t mistaken. There was indeed an outline of a figure standing still, which began to look more and more familiar as she drew near. She thought…

It was indeed her Lord Sesshomaru, standing proper and tall underneath a heavily shaded tree at the edge of the clearing. This rare, unexpected visit was most welcome. Rin hurried to greet her Lord properly, kicking away sticks and loose grass with her bare feet. 

“Lord Sesshomaru! You’ve come to visit me? After only a day?” She did not mean to pry, she truly was as happy as she could be. There was however another detail out of place she just noticed. “And you’re alone? Where is Master Jaken and A-Un?”

“Rin,” He began. His golden stare sent sharp jitters through her body. “I wished to speak with you, alone. Will you accompany me?” It was odd, but also exciting in a way. Why did he want to see her again so abruptly? Did he have a secret to tell her, that he wanted to make certain Master Jaken would not hear? She tailed him, eagerly awaiting the details.

They strolled through the wood in silence for some time, the morning sun piercing the canopy atop. Rin couldn’t help but notice her Lord periodically shooting side glances at her, looks he hoped she would not have noticed. She blushed at receiving so much unsolicited attention from him. Maybe she should be the one to ease the tension in the air.

“So,” Rin sheepishly tugged at his sleeve. “Your brother and his wife are returning from their expedition today. We’re throwing a big festival celebrating their return. Would you like to join us?” 

He didn’t have to say anything for her to know the answer. She knew he would say no, but figured it was worth asking anyway. The inu brothers getting along like family was a pipe dream. 

“Is that what the box in your possession is for?” His interest piqued. 

“Yes!” She excitedly reacted to his sudden intrigue. “It’s for Inuyasha. I made his favorite mooncakes, with yuzu jelly.”

Lord Sesshomaru’s expression went sour. “And what is that hanyo to you?” 

“He’s my friend!” Rin naively responded to such a simple question, a question to which she had no idea held deeper meaning to. “Inuyasha was always very nice to me, even when I was left all alone in the village…” She stopped right there. “I didn’t mean I was alone, or that you left me! I just meant he was someone I could always talk to who wasn’t Kaede, also Kagome was gone for many years…” Her train of thought was entirely broken when she noticed the box of cakes she held went missing.

Lord Sesshomaru held the box high up in one hand, sniffing out its contents. “That hanyo already has a bride to make him whatever delicacies he desires,” The Lord’s gaze turned to hers. “I shall take these for myself.” 

“You can’t! I made those just for Inuyasha and Kagome!” He didn’t even like human food anyway. “I mean, please, my Lord, I beg you to return my offering…” 

“Then take it from me.” He spat out. 

Did she hear that right? 

All she could do was stand there and blink. She really couldn’t make out what his intentions were. The air felt so heavy, until she noticed Lord Sesshomaru was softly grinning at her. Suddenly all tension in her body was loosened. A fire within her childish, mischievous core broke its way out. 

The wild girl jumped up at her gift, arms flailing about. Naturally she wasn’t getting anywhere, her Lord was impossibly tall. Which is what prompted her to run along his back and climb up his mokomoko, of course. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t nearly fast enough to catch the great daiyokai off guard, to which he promptly shook his furry appendage free of her grasp, landing her roughly on her rear. She reminded herself she shouldn’t get too carried away, she needed to look nice for the day. 

“You’ll be sorry for picking a fight with the great Rin!” The girl rushed at the inuyokai’s side, attempting to climb up the sleeve of his fancy kimono. Her Lord once again used his mokomoko to his aid, wrapping around and squeezing her ankles tightly and ripping her off his clothing, flipping her lanky body completely upside down. The inuyokai teased the girl further, waving the box in her face with a wide smirk. She had another idea. 

One firm tug of his hair surprised him just enough to allow her a good swing at the box, grazing just the side of it. He flipped her body and let her down nicely on her feet. 

“You realize your efforts are futile.” His teasing was already beginning to sour her fun. Surely her weakness was stroking his ego more than she could begin to imagine. There was never any doubt he had absolute control over her, but she at least thought he was going to hold back just enough so she could have a fair shot. 

“Rigged! You’re not making this fun!” Again he waved the box high over her head, just out of arm’s length. 

It was then she felt a bony, elongated hand squeeze a large, plump chunk of her own skin. She rushed out an audible gasp. 

He groped her backside. 

In absolute shock, Rin could only stare down those amber eyes in that very instant. The owner of those eyes sported a playful yet devilish grin, with mischievous intent no doubt. This was a side of him she never even imagined she would ever see. But as fresh and endearing as it was, she was beginning to get very annoyed. She huffed at his gloat and turned away from it, walking back to the clearing. She had given up entirely on the mooncakes. 

But she didn’t get very far. Lord Sesshomaru locked his long arms around the small of her waist from behind, holding her completely still. “I thought you wanted this?” His hand waved the box around her peripheral vision. 

“Forget it!” Rin protested. As much as she was having fun mere moments before, now it was getting to be too much. She was too flustered to deal with this right now. “I want to stop playing now. Please let me go.”

Lord Sesshomaru fell still and silent. Rin wasn’t sure what this meant. Was he done toying with her? Was he going to gather himself back to his normal composure?

In that very moment, Rin felt a hand squeeze at her clothed breast. She yelped. Ignoring her reaction, Lord Sesshomaru continued feeling the curves and crevices her bosom made in the very colorful kimono he gifted her. Rin’s head was spinning. This teasing had gone too far. Caught up in the moment, she only just noticed the wetness pooling at the base of her neck. The inuyokai barraged her nape with pecks and licks, sending shivers all throughout the flustered girl’s body.

Panting heavily, she toppled over. 

The tall inuyokai, still completely locked on her body, clung close and tight to her small frame. She was frozen in body and mind. “Lord Sessho-”

She not only heard but also felt a deep rumble rolling off of her back. The echoes sent jitters down her spine. 

_Is he…growling at me?_

It wasn’t the kind of growl she seldom heard him threaten enemies with. It was low and pronounced. Slow and foreboding. She was trapped under the man’s large and heavy frame. All she could do was lay in the grass in absolute silence, letting the vibrations shake her bones and her core with such force she could barely hear her own thoughts. His wet pecks increased in rhythm, as well as her own breathing. His groping only intensified with his growling. She just couldn’t take this anymore, she needed to do _something_. 

That was when she noticed the free strands of his long silver tresses cascading all around her view. Maybe if she…tugged on a lock of his hair, just as she did before. Which she did. 

In that moment she felt a sharp, stinging sensation gather at the center of her nape. She could feel hot wetness oozing out of this area.

He bit her. 

All at once the weight of his body was entirely lifted off of hers. She felt like she could breathe again. After cupping the back of her neck, she quickly turned to where she thought her Lord would have risen to. He was gone. Completely disappeared from her line of sight. For some odd reason even she could not explain, all she could feel in that moment was disappointment from not getting to ask him what he wanted to talk with her about just then. 

The pain on her neck rushed to her senses all at once, it began to sting and burn. The hand she firmly held to the spot was stained deep red. He really did bite her, drawing blood. Next to her feet laid the box of mooncakes, which thankfully looked undamaged. She took the box with her unbloodied hand and woozily stood herself up.

Rin hurried down the hill disheveled and distraught. She looked and felt like she had just been attacked by a wild animal. Technically, she was. But she had little time to perk herself up for her own decency. 

She needed to at least look presentable for greeting Inuyasha and Kagome.


	2. Poems

Rin hurried herself to the good monk’s home, pleading to the gods no one raised any alarm at her tardiness. She didn’t think she was gone for very long, but the sun’s position in the sky told her otherwise. The villagers were all out and about setting up for the festival, so Rin had to make sure she didn’t draw any unnecessary attention to herself. The blood on her hand and her neck already began to dry and crack, all she needed to do was make sure no one saw her ailment until she was able to wash herself. 

“Miroku,” Rin greeted the good monk, “I’m stifling, would it be alright if I cooled myself off at your chozuya?” The girl cleverly fanned the box of cakes to her face, pretending to be flushed. 

“Be my guest, Rin.” The good monk smiled, keeping his focus locked on his youngest child, who was playing with worms poking out of the dirt. The less attention she attracted the better, she thought. 

Rin bustled over to the purification fountain and promptly washed away the dried blood on her hand, then she drew another portion of water and turned the ladle over her nape, doing her best to not get her kimono or her hair wet. She said a small prayer in her head, thankful no one saw her. 

Once she was cleaned up, Rin made her way inside the hut to help Sango with preparations. 

“Rin, where on earth have you been?” The expecting mother sighed. She was clearly overwhelmed with everything going on. Rin deeply apologized, however making certain to keep her rendezvous with her Lord a secret. The women spent the rest of the day preparing for the feast, while each member of the village had their own little role. Everyone was in high spirits for the evening ahead.

And with hard work, everything was perfect. The roast boar smelled divine, and dimly lit paper lanterns cascaded the roads. All the obaasans lazed about, the men begun drinking sake, and the children were playing games. 

Before the sun was to fully set, Shippo returned to the village announcing the arrival of Inuyasha and Kagome’s vessel at the highest pitches of his lungs. The scrawny redheaded teenager flailed his arms and legs about, making sure the whole village was alerted. Rin and Sango rushed to the edge of the village where the crew was to be expected. 

There they were, those two very familiar faces among a band of sailors. Inuyasha and Kagome looked no different, but their attire was another story entirely. Inuyasha wore very tight looking clothing with a deep blue plaid fabric, and at its center was some kind of knot or a tie. Kagome had a most unusual looking ensemble, even stranger than the short white and green kimono she often wore during their war with the evil Naraku. It was a very long and heavy looking fabric which spread out wide from her rear to her base, with another piece of fabric that clung so tightly at the small of her waist it was hard to believe she could breathe in such a contraption. The clothing also was very revealing at its top, showing off much of her bosom. 

“Ciao, everyone! Bonjour! Cheers!” The outgoing miko waved as she ran to greet everyone all at once. When Kagome was finally able to focus her attention on Rin, she squeezed her in a tight embrace, crying she couldn’t believe how much she’d grown in only 2 years. 

Rin then ran up to Inuyasha, who looked at her with wide eyes, then promptly averted his gaze to the crowd. That was odd. “Inuyasha, I made these for you. I’m sure you can already smell what they are.” The girl kindly presented her gift of mooncakes as the hanyo turned his attention back to her to accept. He seemed quiet all of a sudden, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

The evening couldn’t have been more perfect. It was like Inuyasha and Kagome never left, everyone was drinking and laughing about, telling various stories of their travels together. The familiar group laid across the open field painted golden by the dimly lit paper lanterns. 

“Kagome, please tell me all about the land of ‘Yuroppe!’” Kagome stared blankly at the girl before giggling out loud. 

“Oh, Rin, it’s ‘Europe.’” She corrected. “And it’s not just one land; it’s a huge area made up of many different countries, with so many cultures that are completely different from one another!” Rin’s childlike curiosity was imploding, she tried her best to follow the miko’s fast-paced talking. “It was incredible! We were even able to meet Michelangelo in his old age! And then there was Nostradamus, that was a weird month; Unfortunately Shakespeare isn’t even born yet, but we’re definitely going to go back sometime in the future.” Rin got lost somewhere along the way and now had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but she deeply appreciated the starry-eyed miko’s genuine enthusiasm anyway. 

Inuyasha interjected. “Like hell we are. There’s no way you’re getting me back on a boat after all that. I’m ‘Euorope’d’ out.” The eternally frustrated hanyo took a big bite out of the boar leg. “Plus, those Italian guys had no decency at all. They would’ve been all over you if I wasn’t conjoined at your hip the whole time.” Inuyasha grumbled about babysitting his wife, but it was clear Kagome relished in her husband’s jealousy. 

Rin was in awe just listening to the two go on and on about their many stories from their travels together. Just 2 years sounded like a lifetime from the experiences the couple were describing. She wondered to herself if this could be one of the many lands Lord Sesshomaru would desire wandering. “Kagome, do you think Lord Sesshomaru would care to travel these strange lands?” 

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe?” The miko commented with concerned eyes. 

“Are there many strong enemies that walk those lands he can defeat in battle?” That was definitely something that would interest her great and powerful Lord.

“I don’t think so…”

The night roared on with friends laughing and drinking. Rin wished so much Lord Sesshomaru would be socially adventurous enough to join them at gatherings like these. She knew deep down he truly was friendly and kind, but his damnable pride prevented him from cracking open that rock solid shell of his. She looked on to the group of friends enjoying good conversation. Among the heavy stench of sake filling the air, everyone’s blushed faces went without her notice. 

“So, you wanna explain that bite to me?” Rin remained frozen in the center of the field, grasping her cup of sake. She turned to find Inuyasha beading down on her, arms crossed and chest perked. There weren’t any clever words she could find to retort, or any words at all for that matter. “I’m hanyo, remember? I can sniff out a fresh wound from afar. Not to mention, you stink like that bastard brother of mine. His scent is all over you.” Rin truly didn’t know how to respond. Her mind in that moment was void of any thoughts. 

“But…”

“Shippo can smell it too, ya know, he’s just too polite to say anything.” Her cheeks immediately flushed red. That was the last thing she needed to hear. “Look, I don’t care if you guys are fooling around, that’s none of my business. What I’m trying to ask is…is that something you wanted?” Clearly pointing at the bite mark, he was visibly uncomfortable even asking, his gaze kept away from hers.

“I don’t really know…” She didn’t know how to finish. She was being honest.

“What do you mean you ‘don’t know’? Did you like it or not?” His volume increased along his harsh tone.

“I said I don’t know! We were just playing, and it got a little rough. That’s all.” Rin thought she finally cleared any confusion, not knowing at all just how much worse it would get. 

“Did he force himself on you?” Inuyasha’s tone switched from concerned to gravely serious. The hanyo instinctively moved his crossed arms to ready his Tessaiga. Rin suddenly felt a lot more eyes gazing their way. “If that’s the case then there’s no saving that bastard, he’s as good as dead.” 

“Is something the matter?” Kagome abruptly moved away from the main group of friends to find the culprit of all the sudden tension in the air. 

“Go ahead, Rin. Tell everyone what happened. We’ll make sure you won’t get hurt anymore, don’t worry.” She could almost understand where Inuyasha was coming from. He only ever acted this way out of concern, after all. But this was all a big misunderstanding, she needed to clear the air immediately—

-so simply running away probably wasn’t the best way to go about it. Storming into Kaede’s hut, she crashed into her futon and cried away into the fabric.

The night didn’t go anywhere near as she’d planned. It was supposed to be a pleasant evening celebrating friends, but she felt like she was the one who soured the good time everyone was having. She did everything right, too. She worked hard, helped everyone, and took extra care in her present for the young couple. The only mistake she made was playing with Lord Sesshomaru, but was that really a mistake? Sporadic visits of his were rare, so naturally she was going to go spend time with him when he went out of his way to see her. 

Rin propped up her head from the futon, soggy from her tears, and fondly looked over to the gift her Lord had given her the day before, that brightly decorated tea set she couldn’t wait to use. Atop the box laid the single Kikyo flower her Lord had handed her in the wood. She blushed again thinking of the sweet gesture. “Lord Sesshomaru isn’t forceful, stupid Inuyasha…”

Despite the awkwardness that ended the night of the festival, the days that followed were just like old times, with Kagome and Inuyasha back everything seemed right as they should be. Once Kagome apologized to Rin for Inuyasha’s brashness, likely the result of a little too much sake, the young women were almost inseparable. They often spent their days collecting herbs in the fields on the outskirts of the village, sometimes with Jinenji’s help. They also spent plenty of time with Sango, helping her manage the children while the good monk was out performing exorcisms. 

Once her birthday arrived, there would be no more days spent in this village. Instead her days would be accompanying her Lord Sesshomaru on his travels. Rin needed to remind herself that. Perhaps that was why she cherished the days ahead that much more. 

Waking to the smell of crisp coolness in the air, Rin jumped out of her futon and rushed out the hut to examine the leaves on the trees surrounding the village. Just as she suspected, the edges of many leaves were crusted with that perfectly golden hue. This was the day she would see Lord Sesshomaru, and finally be with him forever. Her mind raced to so many things all at once.

Looking back to the doorway to her side of the hut Rin noticed something out of place. Lay neatly centered on Rin’s engawa was a single letter surrounded by an array of Kikyo flowers. The single letter was clasped shut with a peony branch in a most decorative fashion. The arrangement was so visually appealing it didn’t feel right to disturb it. 

Upon opening the letter, she couldn’t help but notice the quality of the paper was immaculate, she had never seen anything like it. The surface looked and felt like that of an eggshell, with its edges etched in gold leaf. The ink was a sharp black, and its calligraphy was absolutely perfect. Each stroke of every character seemed masterfully placed. Was this intended for her? It must have been, because there’s no other who would be able to gift her something so nice.

A boxed insignia at the edge of the paper caught her attention. It was small and written in red, so it stood out. The stamp read ‘Mikazuki no Sesshomaru.’ Was that his proper name? She never once heard him speak of this title before. Rin held the letter close and inhaled deeply before reading its contents. 

_As the seasons change  
My longing grows stronger  
Summer days burn the flesh  
Winter nights freeze the spirit  
Without your presence is agony  
Ease this burden of mine  
Inside your heart  
I wish to see  
Forever_

All those words sounded so beautiful to her, but she had no idea what the context was. It was a peculiar arrangement of sentences of which alone would sound strange, but together melded together perfectly like an unsung melody. Did he truly mean the absence of her presence was agony? She cherished such a thoughtful gesture from her lord, hugging the paper firmly to her chest. Knowing he felt the same as she did when they were apart filled her whole body with warmth. 

A sudden commotion erupted from the front room. Kagome had stopped by for an early morning visit. Kaede was seen puring tea for the younger miko, all eyes in the room turned to the girl who just entered. “Happy birthday Rin!” Kagome cheered, pulling out a colorful box she had in her strange yellow sack. Rin bustled over and tore apart the fun looking paper, revealing a hefty portion of konpeito. After settling down with her tea, Kaede presented to Rin a beautiful red plum kanzashi.

Thanking the women for their generous gifts, she noticed their attention drew to the paper Rin had folded onto her lap. “Oh, this? I received my present from Lord Sesshomaru already, though he hasn’t yet come to see me.” She thought to herself now would be a good time to bring up her intentions on traveling with her Lord again. 

“Let’s see it!” Kagome showed genuine excitement. Rin extended the letter out in her arms. The expressions of the mikos turned serious. Upon reading the letter’s contents, both women remained silent. “Rin…do you know what this is?” Rin didn’t know why, but Kagome suddenly held an expression of such severity.

“Yep,” The naive girl began. “It’s a poem. Is it not?”

“This is a _marriage proposal_.” The young miko firmly corrected. 

The skin on her body went pale. That just couldn’t be right. The great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru intended to marry this Rin? Just the implication sounded silly. And to her, he was her best friend, her protector. Not a prospecting husband. 

“Rin, has Sesshomaru been acting different around you lately?” Kagome interrupted the young girl’s thoughts.

Rin’s mind immediately went to that one encounter days before, when her Lord was playing with her. He was pretty rough with her, teasing her by grabbing her in indecent places. But surely that was just a usual thing men did to tease women? She decided to leave those particular details out regardless. “Well, I suppose. He’s been playing with me more often, and just the other day he gave me a flower.” Both mikos blushed. It seemed they now understood the reasoning behind this action. Kaede simply sighed. 

“Child, it’s up to ye. But please contemplate this offer with utmost consideration.” The older miko warned the child, pitying her youthful ignorance.

The day seemed longer than other days. Perhaps it was because Rin lounged about waiting for Lord Sesshomaru to come see her, as he promised. Surely this ‘proposal’ of his wouldn’t change plans, would it? Each hour that went by made her all the more anxious. All she wanted to do was travel with him again, wanting her life to begin. 

The sun was about to set soon, and she couldn’t wait around any longer. She decided to stroll about the village in anticipation. 

“Happy Birthday.” She passed by Inuyasha, who sat perched and cross legged in front of his hut.

“Inuyasha…” Rin didn’t exactly know how to approach the hanyo. He always seemed on edge, any wrong order of words could set him off. All she could think of was the way he acted the night of their return. 

“I didn’t tell Kagome, if that’s what you’re wondering.” That must have been why Kagome didn’t seem to act any different after the festival. “She did fill me in on that proposal.” Rin’s heart skipped a beat. “Listen, marry the guy if you want, I don’t give a crap, but you need to understand what you’re in for.”

“What I’m in for…?” Rin invited herself next to the hanyo, sitting atop a fresh pelt of grass. 

“Yokai don’t love like humans do. You could argue they can’t even comprehend it.” That couldn’t be true. How could he marry Kagome then? What about how caring Shippo was to everyone?

“How can you say that? You’re half yokai.” Rin claimed in protest.

“Exactly. That should tell you I know what I’m talking about.” Inuyasha rubbed the soles of his feet, staring out into the meadow overlooking the village. “Whenever I’m with Kagome, my human side only thinks of wanting what’s best for her. For her to be happy and safe, no matter what.” He turned his gaze down. “But my yokai side wants to keep her all to myself. If it had its way she’d be locked up in a room where only I could ever see her.” 

“That doesn’t sound bad, it’s romantic.” The girl blinked, not truly understanding what Inuyasha was trying to say. 

“It’s disgusting, is what it is. I have to constantly remind myself that Kagome doesn’t belong to me. She’s my companion. I’m lucky she wants to spend most of her free time with me, or any time at all.” He did sound truly grateful for his wife’s presence, he must have held her in high praise. 

Rin still wasn’t convinced. “If that’s really true…then how did your parents end up together? Didn’t they love each other?” 

He spat. “Like hell if I’d know, my old man died before I could even remember anything.” Inuyasha rudely ended the conversation by getting up and entering his hut. Anything involving his father must be a taboo subject. 

The rest of Rin’s birthday came and went. Lord Sesshomaru did not visit her as he promised. She stayed up until the waning hours of the night to make sure of it. She realized she had no choice but to respond to his letter, knowing she didn’t want to accept or deny marrying him, but she did wish to convey her true feelings. 

So she asked Shippo for help, as she often did see him paint with strange colorful ink Kagome gifted him from her homeland. Perhaps he would let her use some of his artistry tools. “What, you gonna marry your ‘Lord Sesshomaru’ and live happily ever after?” He kept avoiding eye contact with her, resting ever so casually on a lopsided fence. She expected he was going to tease her, and that was fine. She just needed to convince him to allow her use of his colorful ink. 

“Please Shippo, I really need to use your colorful ink and paper. I promise I will give it right back.” She pleaded with her hands cupped together. 

The kitsune looked incredibly annoyed. “Kagome and Inuyasha only just got back and you’re already leaving?” He was right. Rin didn’t think about that at all. No wonder Shippo was giving her such a hard time. 

“I wasn’t going to say yes or no in my letter, I just want to reply because it’s expected of me.” Maybe this plea would be enough to convince the perpetual troublemaker. 

“If you don’t wanna marry him, then just ignore it. You don’t have to waste my stuff.” Rin’s frustration tipped to a boiling point. She stomped away to look for help elsewhere. Abruptly she felt a subtle tap on her shoulder. Turning her head, she was met with Shippo holding out a piece of paper with a box of his inking tools. He still wasn’t able to look her directly in her eyes, but she could tell it was too painful for him to. She deeply appreciated the gesture regardless. 

Upon reentering the old miko’s hut, Rin perched herself up to her short table, a fine piece of furniture of which her Lord had gifted her years ago. Everything she owned was a gift from her Lord, when she really thought about it. 

Calligraphy wasn’t her strong suit, and the hard ink Shippo gave her wasn’t like that of ink at all. Typical strokes couldn’t be made with these tools, but it was possible to outline characters and shade them in. Perhaps that made things easier on her part. After many, many tries, she felt she had the best iteration conveying her thoughts. 

_I pray to all the gods of heaven and earth  
That one day soon  
Will be the first day  
Of our eternity  
Find me at dusk  
By the miko’s well_

It wasn’t nearly as nice as her Lord’s poem, nor was her calligraphy, but it was the best she could muster. And it should get the job done. Or rather…

How should she present her letter? It’s not as if she was about to call his name and have him read it in front of her, that would be too embarrassing. Not to mention there would be no point in calling him here just to summon him later at the miko’s well. Just then she had an idea.

The girl hurried her way out to the meadow, to the very oak tree Lord Sesshomaru would wait by for her during his visits. She neatly placed the letter at the base of the tree, but stopped herself before walking away. She couldn’t just leave the letter looking like that, not after all the trouble her Lord must have went through to make his letter’s arrangement so beautiful. So she decided to explore the surrounding wood for any beautiful flowers she would come by. 

With a bouquet of many colorful flowers, she neatly arranged their placement around the letter in the most attractive fashion she could conjure up. 

But how was her Lord to know she sent her letter? Staring at a branch on the ground, she had another creative idea.

She broke apart the dried branch, and cut the very tip of her finger just enough to draw a small bead of blood. 

Kneeling down to her letter, she began drawing his crescent moon in her blood. She didn’t think she could draw enough blood with a simple prick of a fingertip, but eventually she did manage to get it done to the very last drop as her tiny wound swelled over entirely. To make extra certain he would get the message, she wafted the paper around before setting it back down on the bed of flowers. Running back into the village, she prepared herself for her Lord’s impending visit.

"Where are ye going, child?" Rin halted in her tracks, realizing her best attempt at muffling her footsteps had failed. "Are ye to accept Sesshomaru's proposal?"

"I...don't know." The girl admitted. "But I have to see him." 

"And?"

"Kaede..." Rin's eyes were about to burst. "I intended to join Lord Sesshomaru on his travels again when I turned fifteen. But instead I was met with his intentions of marrying me," Rin poured her heart out to her beloved caretaker. "I truly don't know what I want."

"The old woman sighed in defeat. "Come, let me fix that wild head of hair."

That night was the coldest it had been in a long time. Rin rubbed her arms in both crispness and anxiety. She hoped so much she would see her Lord tonight, but not immediately seeing him waiting by the miko’s well did not calm her nerves. She sat herself down on the edge of the well and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Each minute that went by raised her heartbeat tenfold. All she could think about in those moments of silence was just how to confront him. 

A glowing ball of light suddenly passed through the pitch black valley at inhuman speed. The orb then took the form of a familiar figure of hers. 

There stood her Lord, proud and tall. Looking straight at her, she quickly sat up and dusted herself off to properly greet him. 

She quickly needed to find the correct words to say to him. The longer the wait the more she felt the need to speak up. He was always so quiet. Even for her as well as she knew him, it was sometimes difficult to predict what he was feeling at any given moment. 

“I’m sorry I hurt you.” He firmly stated. 

“Oh,” Right. She moved her hand to her nape, suddenly remembering the mark he left there days prior. It’s not like it was a big deal to her, but it must have been to him. 

Rin could not yet still feel comfortable in her Lord’s presence, but she inched up closer to his imposing body regardless. There was never any doubt he cared for her unconditionally, so there was no need to feel all this tension she was feeling in her body. Inuyasha and Shippo were surely to blame for planting doubts in her head. 

“I have examined your written words closely,” Lord Sesshomaru approached the girl with full intent of invading her personal barrier. “Your desires will be met as my wife. You need not have any doubt.” Oh how she wished his choice of words and calming demeanor soothed her. 

“Why do you want to marry me?” Rin took a single step away from her Lord, halting him in his footing. “I’m not a Lady, or a princess, or even a samurai’s daughter. You have nothing to gain from marrying me.” In fact, marrying her would be a social crutch for her Lord. A great daiyokai such as himself, with a human? Not just any human, but a commoner. An orphan girl with no family, no inheritance. Not even a skill or a trade to support herself with. She was nothing but a liability to him as it was, marrying her would label him a pariah within his court. 

Even though she was certain he couldn’t, it seemed as if he read her thoughts clear as rain. “I expect nothing in return but your loyalty. For which you have already given me no limit of. That is all I ask.” His expression was so different from his usual demeanor. It seemed as if he was pleading with her.

Rin was flustered, not certain if this emotion felt good or bad. Her breathing turned to panting. All she could do was stare downward at her toes, blackened by a thick layer of dirt. Of course she wanted to be with her Lord forever, so marrying him would be a certain way to set this fate in stone. But she never imagined she would remain by his side as his wife. If she was to marry him, would things still remain as they were when she accompanied his travels? It was all she wanted, after all. To be free, roam the lands, and cheer her Lord on in battle. To be with him forever. But as a wife…

What even were wifely duties to a yokai? Such a silly thing to imagine. Was she to draw his bath, prepare his meals? Bear him children? She blushed at the thought. 

All her innocent thoughts turned to mush as she abruptly felt an almost burning sensation at her lips. 

Her Lord was kissing her. 

The sudden pressure at her lips sent her head spinning. The hot air blowing out his nostrils grazed her cheeks ever so lightly. His bright white hair poured over her body like a waterfall. 

With lips locked, the pair stood frozen under the vast night sky. Not a sound was to be heard within the meadow but that of their own beating hearts. Rin had shut her eyes tightly out of instinct, not pleasure. She was in turmoil of not understanding the feelings she was having in those moments, whether she was happy or afraid. Her Lord’s lips pressed against her own felt soft and warm. It was physically comforting. But emotionally, it was void of any logic. 

The older man parted his lips from her own and promptly clasped the girl’s hands together, cradling them with his own. His sharp golden eyes locked on hers with intimidation. He pressed his crescent moon against the center of her forehead, the tips of their noses greeting one another. 

“Marry me.” His request, which sounded more like a statement, felt so heavy. Like boulders trapping her body underneath, preventing her from breathing. 

She didn’t yet know whether she loved him in that way or not. But she did know one thing. “All I wish is to follow you,” The young girl’s eyes began to swell. If she was to marry him, she needed to make certain of one thing and one thing only. “Will I be with you forever? My forever?”

He kissed her hands which nestled softly between his. “You have my word.”


	3. Union

Rin kneeled over a folded cushion in the center of a richly decorated room closed off by painted shoji screens. Strange yokai women were applying makeup to her face, amplifying her natural beauty. She was all in white, in the most elegant looking shiromuku she had ever seen in her short life. The bright white fabric contrasted her sunkissed skin in poetic symmetry. 

Today was the day of her wedding. The day she was to become a proper Lady. The day her forever with Lord Sesshomaru would begin. She already admitted to herself she didn’t know if she truly loved her Lord in a romantic way, but she did accept his proposal regardless, fully anticipating the life they would lead afterward. She wondered how soon they would be able to travel again, would it be that night? Or maybe in a few weeks time after settling down a bit? The girl was so incredibly anxious daydreaming about living a life of freedom once again.

When Rin accepted her Lord’s marriage proposal, he wasted no time at all escorting her to the castle in the sky. She hadn’t the time to tell all her friends the good news, but he made certain to send an official announcement on her behalf. She requested that the _entire_ village was to be invited to her wedding, to which he held no qualms with. Normally, grooms would visit their bride-to-be at their family’s residence, and then after the ceremony, they would travel to the husband’s village. But this was no normal wedding. She was sure yokai had their own set of traditions, of which she wanted to show respect for. 

Though regrettably, she spent a lot more time with his Lady Mother than he these past few days. As cold as she pretended to be, much like her son she was very kind deep down, so her company was still pleasant. Yet Rin hoped she would spend more time with her Lord before they were to be made husband and wife. The one and only time she saw him was a single meeting the night before, when he simply went over the specifics and formalities of the day that lie ahead. 

Amongst the prattling of the various yokai women, all heads turned to muffled footsteps leading into the room. Rin then saw her groom enter through the decorative shoji screens; he was entirely dressed in a fine kimono, traditional for noblemen set to marry. When his gaze met hers, he looked as awestruck as his stoic demeanor would allow. Rin automatically flashed a wide grin, she was never good at reserving her feelings. 

The attendants all bowed to their Lord and promptly lined themselves up in unison. Lord Sesshomaru gracefully took his bride-to-be by the hand and escorted her to the official ceremony which awaited them.

The couple shared the ceremonial sake, and exchanged the proper vows to the kami in the presence of a small court of yokai nobility. Though their shared vows were exclusively proclaimed by her Lord. Rin was to stay silent the entirety of the official ceremony. 

Sesshomaru’s Lady Mother was present, as well as another inuyokai with the very same crescent moon on his forehead, whom she had not yet received the pleasure of acquainting. He looked just like Sesshomaru, but seemed to take extra care of his appearance. His lips were stained purple, and his long hair was braided like that of a woman’s. It was his demeanor which was the most striking however, as he seemed to be rather bored and uninterested the entirety of the ceremony. At least the Lady Mother shed a few crocodile tears during the sipping of the sacred sake. 

She couldn’t help but notice the many judgmental eyes which followed her throughout the service. The few noblemen in the room were not inuyokai, but of another race and class she had no way of identifying. She was however certain the only man in the room who was genuinely delighted of this union was her own groom.

“I, Mikazuki no Sesshomaru,” This was indeed his full title. Rin learned all about the Mikazuki clan upon her arrival at the castle in the sky, as well as a few other particulars of the inuyokai in general. The crescent moon on the forehead of an inuyokai proved they belonged to the Mikazuki clan, no exceptions. It wasn’t a clan you could pledge fealty to, you had to be born into it. That is why Rin will always be Rin, she could not carry the title of Mikazuki, she could only marry into the family. “Request the blessing of all the gods of heaven and earth in this union,”

The nobility clapped their fans on their thighs and began drinking the cups of sake laid before them. The ceremony was complete. 

Rin was now the wife of Lord Sesshomaru.

It almost didn’t seem real. As if she was just having a long dream. But it was real, and she couldn’t help but daydream again about traveling her Lord, no, her husband. Soon, she thought, she was going to taste true freedom once again.

The daimyos and Lords left the room, as did the small pack of inuyokai and their one human girl. The Lady Mother and the unfamiliar man left together in a direction away from the newlyweds. Finally alone, Rin tugged at the sleeve of her new husband’s haori in a desperate and animated matter. All those sips of sake needed to go somewhere. 

When Rin had excused her presence to go relieve herself, she was met with her favorite green imp erratically prancing up and down the halls, carrying a decorative display of oranges arranged on a wooden slate. He seemed awfully busy with the miscellaneous tasks the wedding reception called for. She fully expected a flabbergasted Master Jaken giving her an earful about why his Lord would wed such a dirty and lowly human child, but instead she was met with a totally unexpected side of the servant. 

“Lady Rin! How beautiful you look on this auspicious day!” That was incredibly chipper of him.

“Master Jaken, I didn’t think you would be so happy on my behalf!” Rin pressed her hands against her cheeks trying to goad the imp on. 

The tiny green servant smiled ear to ear. “Of course, my Lady!” He skipped away with his plate of oranges and began humming to himself. Rin squinted her eyes at the unusually energetic servant. Something was definitely off. There was no way he would be this happy for Rin, or even happy at all given the current circumstance. But he _was_ genuinely in high spirits. 

Very strange indeed. Rin immediately went back to her husband to comment on Master Jaken’s stranger than normal behavior. “Lord Sessho-”

“Just Sesshomaru is fine.” 

“Eh?” The bride entirely lost her train of thought.

“You need not address me with any formalities. You may call me anything that pleases you.” The girl blushed at her husband’s unexpected but kind gesture. 

By midday all of the guests had arrived, and it was time to begin the formality of receiving gifts. Human tradition simply asks for gifts of money or rice depending on the status of the couple, but yokai tradition asks for ‘gifts of the heart.’ Rin wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but she soon had an idea as she began receiving offerings from the guests. 

“Lord Sesshomaru.” A large, beast-like yokai bowed in deep respect to the prestigious inuyokai. “I, Royakan of the forest spirits, wish you a most happy marriage.” The beastial being then turned his attention to Rin. “And Lady Rin, always know you will forever have the protection of the spirits of the forest.” Strange, tiny little creatures which looked like clay dolls wobbled around Royakan and presented to her his gift, which was a glowing piece of fabric. Apparently if she was to wear this fabric over her head like a veil, she could see the spirits of the recently deceased. 

“What a most incredible gift. Thank you, Royakan of the forest.” Rin graciously accepted the giant yokai’s offering. 

Royakan bowed again to the Lady. But before standing, he turned his focus back to Sesshomaru. “My Lord, we will anxiously be awaiting your call.” This statement confused Rin. She looked to her husband for an answer, but was met with more questions when she noticed him nodding slightly in acknowledgment at the beast. 

One after another, guests showered the couple with odd and spectacular gifts. Next to present a gift was Myoga the flea. 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” The tiny old man cried into his sleeve. “If only your father were still with us, he would be most joyous this day.” Sesshomaru nodded lightly at the flea yokai. As much as it seemed the old man’s very existence bothered Sesshomaru, he still respected the great fondness the flea felt towards his late father, even after so many years following his death. “Lady Rin, you truly are worthy of the title. I wish you a happy and prosperous marriage.” 

“Thank you for your kind words, Myoga-jiji.” When Rin held out her hands in a typical receiving gesture, fully expecting a gift comparable to the size of the flea, Myoga wiped away his tears and began flapping away with a fan, signaling much larger yokai to carry in palettes of various golden dishes.

Despite their less-than-lavish nature, the gifts from the villagers were much more interesting than that of the nobility’s. Kohaku presented to Rin a smoke bomb that temporarily blinds yokai, and Shippo offered a strange bag of ‘ninja food’ he saved from his travels with Kagome. 

Kaede’s gift was the most cherished of Rin’s, as she presented her a sacred shamisen, personally blessed by her. When played, the sounds of the instrument purifies evil youki in a room. Although she loved singing, Rin had no idea how to play any instrument. She reminded herself she needed to learn this skill in the near future.

All the gifts they were to receive were meant for the couple, but Rin couldn’t help but notice so many of the gifts she received so far were things meant solely for her. And somehow, without realizing it, she was the one tasked with the accepting of the gifts, as Sesshomaru merely sat perched on his cushion sipping away at his cup of sake the entire time. Rin was partially to blame, she did make sure his cup would never go empty, as she assumed was what a wife should do.

“Rin. This is a most valuable gift from me, as it comes from my _very_ limited stockpile of oddities from my far off land of the future.” Kagome set herself down on the cushion in front of the newly-wedded couple, followed by Inuyasha who plopped down behind and off to the side of his wife, avoiding eye contact with his brother. 

Kagome made a rather obnoxious drum roll sound with her mouth, ignoring the many stares her actions generated. Lifting one hand covering her other, she revealed a bright pink egg which shined with tiny little speckles of light. “I present to you, a **_tamagotchi_**!”

“Tamagotchi?” Rin blinked. 

“That’s right. Look, you just press this little button here and…” 

Rin gasped. “There’s a spirit trapped inside this tiny egg!”

“Have you gifted us a cursed object, miko?” Sesshomaru couldn’t ignore the commotion Kagome was invoking. 

“No, no, no!” The miko waved in distress. “See, he _likes_ being inside the egg! But you have to wake him up every day and feed him.”

“Ah, so cute!” Rin was suddenly enamored with the pitiful spirit. 

“Great. A responsibility.” Sesshomaru spat. 

Just as Kagome was about to nudge her husband to leave, Inuyasha shot up and awkwardly presented an offering to Rin with utmost respect. It was a very old looking comb with many broken teeth. It looked like it was at one point very beautiful and ornate. “It belonged to a princess once known as Izayoi.” The hanyo glanced at the comb fondly. “My mom.”

Rin would have cried at the offering had Inuyasha said another word. Clearly this was the deepest gesture of fondness he could have shown her, or anyone. She could tell Kagome was about to swell with tears herself. It was a sure sign that Inuyasha had full intent on welcoming Rin into his family. His pack. Rin looked to Sesshomaru for any sign of what he was feeling in that moment, which didn’t seem like much but sneaking a thoughtful glance at his baby brother then quickly averting his gaze. 

Next to present their gift was the good monk and his family. “You see, as a monk, I have taken it upon myself to gift you a sutra,”

“How gracious, most honorable monk!” Was this a sutra of health and well-being? 

“Indeed, but it is not just any sutra. This here is known from the continent as the ‘kama sutra,’” The monk opened a folded portion of the paper and revealed a sample of its contents to Rin, to which she immediately blushed. “You see, these are but a few of many positions you can try with your husband,” The dirty monk gleefully described as he read snippets of the sutras aloud. 

Almost immediately the good monk could feel the spiteful glare of the inuyokai hailing down on him, which hurried him away after once again offering his many congratulations. Sango could be heard whispering vehemently to her husband. “I told you that was a terrible gift!”

Finally, there was one last guest left to present their offering to the couple. It was a familiar looking old man with eyes which bulged from his sockets, who often behaved senile much to his own benefit. It was the master bladesmith, Totosai.

“Congratulations.” The old man casually seated himself in front of the couple. “This is for you, young lady.” The old man presented a thin object entirely shrouded in cloth. 

Rin accepted the gift, and unwrapped the object right there. Within the cloth laid a short and thin slab of pearl. Upon closer examination, she realized what the object truly was. Breaking apart the slab revealed a short blade, meticulously crafted. On the base of the blade was the insignia of the great swordsmith Totosai. 

“A kaiken…?” This small, elegant dagger was meant for the likes of women to hide in their obi for protection. “Thank you, Totosai.”

“It ain’t from me.” The old man corrected.

“It is my gift to you.” The girl turned to her husband who invaded the conversation. “I myself commissioned this kaiken from Totosai. Its blade is made of my own fang, rendering it severely poisonous. The recipient of this blade will be met with a swift and painful death, regardless of how deep the cut is.” His own fang? Is that why he was absent for many days?

“Poisonous to all but poison type inuyokai.” The old man felt the desire to correct the Lord. “Which leaves me with a gift of my own,” Totosai then reached into his back satchel and held out a small but ornately decorated hairpin. “This pin looks pretty, but it’s dipped in taiga poison. It’s completely harmless to you and me, but to poisonous yokai such as your husband here, it’s super deadly.” 

The air in the room felt so heavy all of a sudden. 

“It’s fine,” Her husband began, reassuring his wife. “We graciously accept your gift, Totosai.” 

“Glad to hear it.” The old geezer blinked, likely already contemplating his plan of escape. 

The guests enjoyed great food and drink, perhaps maybe a bit too much. The human villagers clashed with the formality of the yokai nobility, whom had little to no desire in attending the reception in the first place. 

The room went silent when a single old man casually entered. He was unfamiliar to everyone. Rather large with a bulbous nose, and sporting a full container of shochu, he looked like he could be just about anyone’s friend. His hair and eyes were just like that of all the other inuyokai, with the exception of the marking centered on his forehead. It was a full, complete circle. 

It was Sesshomaru who rose from his seat to greet the old man. And it was Sesshomaru who bowed in his presence. 

Audible gasps surrounded the room from all corners. Even Rin was shocked. Lord Sesshomaru did not show respect for anyone, at least as far as anyone who knew him was concerned. 

“My, my, I didn’t mean to soil the fun you were all having,” The old man kindly greeted and waved, turning his focus to the young Lord. “It’s good to see you, Sesshomaru. My, you’ve grown.”

Feeling the many stares burning a hole through his pride, Sesshomaru felt obligated to formally introduce the old man to all the inquisitive faces in the room. “This is Mangetsu no Itazo. He is the man who taught me to fight.”

“Inuyasha, he’s another inuyokai!” Kagome tugged at her husband’s shoulders. He did seem rather interested in the whole ordeal. The man who taught Sesshomaru how to fight must be incredibly powerful. 

The old man was escorted by none other than Sesshomaru at his side of the seating arrangement. After settling down, his attention was immediately brought to the beautiful maiden who sat before him. “Ah, you must be the bride. The pleasure is all mine, my Lady.” The two shared a smile and bowed evenly at one another. 

“You really taught Sesshomaru how to fight? I thought his father taught him.” It’s not like Rin was told this, it was simply something she always assumed. Itazo laughed.

“No, no. In fact, Toga was a student of mine as well. Though he was a fast learner. He left my dojo abruptly to become his clan’s general.” This was so much information for everyone to take in at once. Even Myoga the flea seemed mystified by this strange old man. 

“That crest on your forehead…is that of a full moon. Is that where the name of Mangetsu comes from?” Kagome invited herself into the conversation, mostly on Inuyasha’s behalf.

“Very astute, miko. Indeed, I am of the Mangetsu clan.” The old man sipped on his bottle of shochu. “Though, it’s hardly much of a clan at all. Not anymore.” Rin was very interested in this herself, but somehow the conversation moved away from the politics of inuyokai clanage. 

Well fed and faces red from sake richer than their means, the guests were all preparing to leave. Rin caught glimpse of Itazo grazing the edge of Sesshomaru’s shoulder. He said something along the lines of “-orry, giving my respects is all I ca-” She was deeply interested in hearing the rest of the conversation, but she didn’t want to be rude. 

Once friends and acquaintances left the castle grounds, or clouds, rather, the couple were finally alone. As alone as a Lord and a Lady could be surrounded by servants. 

The two made their way down the many castle halls, exchanging gabs about the various incidents of the day, mostly one-sided from Rin although much welcome from Sesshomaru. They were then escorted by servants into a large, beautiful room. The room had a large wraparound engawa overlooking an immaculate zen garden. The sunlight pierced through the open screens, encasing the room entirely in gold. The room was familiar to Rin, as it was where she was staying the past few days. Alone. But now, she had her husband to share it with. It was a sudden realization Rin had when she carelessly tossed off her wataboshi and began rubbing off her makeup.

Sesshomaru seemed to follow suit. When removing his tabi, Rin noticed the very same magenta stripes he had on his wrists were also majestically placed on his ankles. His toenails were also just as clawed as his fingernails, exactly like Inuyasha’s. Even if it were just his feet, this was the most skin she ever saw from Sesshomaru.

“Um, does it hurt?” The human girl inquired with such apprehension. “Being intimate, I mean…”

“I don’t know.” Sesshomaru sat perched on the engawa overlooking an immaculate zen garden. He didn’t turn to face her. “I have no experience.” He admitted so plainly. That made perfect sense when she thought about it. Sesshomaru was always chasing powerful enemies far and wide, he didn’t seem the amorous type who sought after companionship on occasion.

Rin sighed in relief. “We don’t have to rush into it…” Sesshomaru seemed to have agreed with the girl. He would never admit to any weakness, but certainly he must have been just as nervous as she was. 

The evening was so peaceful without any expectations hanging over the couple’s shoulders. Rin lounged by her husband, singing silly songs she’d just made up and barraged him with a million general questions about life. This was something that hadn’t changed since she was a little girl. The occasional smile he glanced her way indicated he didn’t seem to mind her familiar juvenile behavior. 

Somewhere along the way, passion was set alight within the inuyokai. All Rin did was lay innocently sprawled across the tatami floor, playing with her gift of the trapped tamagotchi spirit given by the miko. Without warning Sesshomaru began massaging his wife’s shoulders, the instant sensation sent a spastic reflex in the young girl’s spine. She didn’t pay it much mind, and brushed it off as a kind husbandly gesture. She really enjoyed the deep kneading motions, easing the tension in her muscles.

She wasn’t expecting him to slide her kosode off her back. 

He soon barraged her bare back with soft kisses. Each peck sent Rin trembling. Her hardened nipples pierced through the fabric of the pure white kosode she wore loosely on her small frame. 

Sesshomaru then seized possession of her neck and brought her up closer to his body, taking a deep whiff of her hair. He was in complete control. This was it, Rin thought. This part was expected, and she had several days to brace herself for it. But such a thing seemed impossible to prepare for. Her nerves were bubbling up inside of her. 

Releasing her from his grasp, Sesshomaru began untying his hakama. Layer after layer he set off to the side, leaving one single haori covering his indecency. He gestured Rin to lay on her back and doing as he commanded, he released her of the single layer of kosode she had left on her body.

She was completely nude. Entirely at the mercy of the man who stood before her. She clasped her hands together over the soft of her breasts as a false sense of security. Seeing her insecurity, Sesshomaru then slid the haori fully off his broad shoulders, leaving him just as bare as she was. The two remained silent, taking in the views of the other. 

And how beautiful he was to her. Each sharp, muscular crevice of his body commanded masculinity and strength. Just the sight of him made her feel protected. 

Sesshomaru grazed over her belly with his hands, taking extra care in making sure his sharp claws wouldn’t pierce her delicate skin. His touches felt so soft against her smooth center, the sensation was almost ticklish. Rin anxiously rubbed together her toes and tangled her fingers to distract herself from the unknown emotions she was feeling. 

The older man gently grasped the inner of her thighs, spreading her apart like a butterfly’s wings. Her womanhood was fully exposed. The cool air kissing her delicates made her body shiver. Sesshomaru then knelt down in front of her, grazing her soft peach fuzz with his fingertip. He was so close to the most guarded area of her body, she felt absolutely helpless and tense. 

Using the base of both thumbs, Sesshomaru spread apart the lips of her entry. Rin had never felt more at the mercy of another. The inuyokai looked entirely mesmerized. Like staring at a prize that was just within his reach. He leaned in closer to her quarters and licked the edge of her left lip. Rin was trembling. 

All it took was one single lick at the center of her womanhood for her to yelp at her highest volume. It wasn’t a sound of pleasure, but that of pain. This whole area of hers was so extremely sensitive, that direct pressure at this one particular bead of flesh made Rin wince in agony. 

“I’m sorry.” Her husband's words of concern comforted her slightly. When Rin had the composure to open her eyes again, she could tell he looked so worried. She wanted to comfort him, but she also wanted to be honest. 

“It hurts a lot there…” She cried with such apprehension. 

“I will be more careful.” The inuyokai gave his word. Instead of licking her treasured oyster of flesh once more, he rose and pushed Rin’s thighs up past his waist, bringing the two even closer than before. Both their intimates were kissing another. 

Sesshomaru grasped his erection and used the tip to gently greet her soft pearl of flesh, the sensitivity of this area slowly began to radiate more pleasure than pain. The sensations she was feeling were so sharp, so extreme, but also somewhat soothing. Instinctively her hips began moving on their own, gyrating on his shaft. The warm flesh of his most sensitive part rubbing against her own began to feel heavenly. 

Rin started to feel _really_ good all of a sudden. The muscles in her legs began to spasm, her heartbeat and her breathing increased, and her movements were starting to get more desperate. Sesshomaru moved his face into hers and whispered in a deep, raspy tone. “It’s alright. Look at me and let go.” Rin let out a sound that was somewhere between a wince and a cry. She held onto her husband for dear life, squeezing bundles of flesh at his sides. Sesshomaru kept rubbing his cock at her delicate skin, which was now slippery and moist. In one forceful thrust, Rin’s entire world broke around her. Her body twitched and spasmed, her toes curled and her chest puffed. She involuntarily shook for what seemed like forever. 

Sounds of strained panting filled the room. Rin tried her best to chase her breath, all the while Sesshomaru held her temples tightly, bringing her face to his. He was in awe of what he just witnessed. “You’re so beautiful.” He praised in mesmerization. It just wasn’t possible for Rin to blush any more than she already was. 

She wasn’t so naive, she knew what would come next. It must have been the part that was the most pleasurable for a man. Rin felt compelled to invite her husband inside her most guarded area. “You may enter…” It was the signal Sesshomaru was anxiously waiting to hear.

Out of what seemed to be pure desperation, he forcefully invaded her walls all at once, sending a strange and sharp pain throughout this unexplored area of her body. She gasped deeply, but kept her sounds mostly to herself. She felt the need to prove to her husband she was able to fully accept him whenever it pleased him. And it did very much please him, as she heard light pants escaping his breath upon his entry. 

Then there was that familiar rumbling she felt sending tremors across her body. He began to growl again. That low and pronounced sound which was slightly different from the usual growl he made when threatening enemies. She realized this must have been a reaction his body made when he was both very angry and very happy. 

When hugging her close, their bare chests pressed together amplified his deep growling all throughout her body. These deep rumbles sent her twitching and shivering all about. He began sliding his manhood up and down her tight quarters, increasing in speed with each thrust. There was no doubt at all he was enjoying this experience. But for Rin, she tried her best to keep calm throughout the duration of it. It wasn’t exactly painful, but it wasn’t feeling as nice as before. She was beginning to feel numb and sore, but seeing Sesshomaru feel as euphoric as he did inside of her fluttered her heart. _She_ was the one making him feel this much pleasure, _she_ was the one he chose to marry, to love. It all made her feel so special. 

Without warning he sunk his sharp canines into her left shoulder blade, locking on tightly. This on the other hand was painful. But still, she endured. Clearly it was a natural sexual behavior, something the women of the village must have left out. Maybe it wasn’t such a painful thing for human women, as human men didn’t have the piercing fangs inuyokai sported. 

Her husband began getting more and more aggressive with his movements. He wildly pressed his erection deep inside her as far as her body would allow as his jaw fastened tightly onto her flesh, drawing tiny streams of a blood-and-saliva mixture. In between his pants and growls escaped muted winces. These sudden sounds of pleasure of her husband’s sent flutters within Rin’s fleshy caves. The acts he was performing on her body were harsh, but the signals of his clear euphoria were enough to please Rin herself. Him simply feeling good made her feel good, which was confusing to her, but she really didn’t care at that moment. His large, hard cylinder of flesh was beginning to feel nice inside her walls. Each thrust brought with it a deep quiver within her. It felt different from when he was grazing her sensitive bead of silk with his manhood, this was a feeling that shot thunderbolts across her entire body. She felt like she was chasing a wave she desperately needed to catch. This abrupt burst of pleasure sent her whimpering as she tightly squeezed the inuyokai’s back, begging him to release her of this primal need. 

The thrusting stopped. His sudden action screamed desperation. Sesshomaru, with his jaw still very much latched onto her body, moved his arms to her hips and held her completely still. Her insides were beginning to feel full, warm, and very wet amongst the faint twitches of his cock. 

But the fullness in her body kept growing. 

In an instant, Rin felt an immense pain pushing apart the inside of her walls. The pain was so great she yelled at the top of her lungs and attempted to run away from it. She needed to escape the sensation causing her such agony. But her husband clenched his jaw even tighter into her shoulder and locked her hips closer to his body with his impossibly strong arms, preventing her from moving entirely. Rin was in so much pain it was unreal, she felt so helpless she could not run away from this perceived danger. All she could do was beg her husband for help, her eyes swelling and puring over rivers of salty fluid. 

“I’m so sorry,” Sesshomaru finally lifted his teeth from her skin and spoke ever so softly into her ear. “We can’t separate until it goes down.” His voice sounded so distressed, like he wasn’t prepared at all for her reaction.

Rin never imagined sex would be this painful. 

The two remained helplessly caged together in their forced embrace. It was probably ten or so minutes before the pain began to subside. Rin was finally able to calm her hysteric panting down just a bit. But the two were still tied together, unable to break apart. Sesshomaru carefully lifted Rin’s body just slightly to adjust the couple on their side, so she would at least feel a little more comfortable. Looking for any distraction, the girl began to notice her husband’s beating heart as their chests pressed together, the pulsations of which sent shock waves through her bosom. She wondered if her own heartbeat felt just as comforting to him. She stared fondly into his eyes with her own glossy, deep brown orbs. “Was I good?”

He must not have known how to respond. All he did was look back at her, staring blankly. He thought very carefully about his sequence of words. “You were incredible.” His glowy, tired expression went somber. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s alright. It’s natural.” Rin tried to ease her husband’s thoughts. Sesshomaru looked at the girl fondly, cupping the rear of her head and bringing it closer to his face, caressing her forehead with a soft kiss. “But why does it have to hurt so much?” The girl pouted, trying to ease the tension in the air just a bit. 

“It’s called ‘knotting.’” Her husband tried to explain. She really wasn’t expecting a legitimate answer. “It’s like a tie that keeps a couple together for a short while after mating. It’s meant to ensure pregnancy.” 

“Oh…” The girl remained silent for a moment. Does that mean she was going to be pregnant? She really didn’t give that idea much thought. Of course she wanted to be a mother, but children with Sesshomaru would be…hanyo. Didn’t he take issue with the very existence of hanyo, as evidenced by his prejudice towards his own brother? It would surely be a conversation she needed to have with him in the near future. 

At some point Rin fell asleep while lost in her own thoughts. She was just too exhausted to wait for her husband’s swelling to go down and finally separate. Drifting away into a deep slumber while still connected to the most important man in her life wasn’t such a bad experience, though. 

Sometime well past twilight, Rin had awoken to a flickering light outside her window. Turning over to her side, she realized Sesshomaru was gone. 

Fastening the single white kosode back to her bare frame, Rin carried a single candlewick with her and ventured out the room to find the source of the light. Tiptoeing her bare feet on the tatami flooring, Rin silently maneuvered the vast halls of the castle. Despite how deep and black the night sky was, candles were set alight throughout the walls. 

That was when she heard the voices of two strange men conversing at an incredibly low volume. Their light footsteps fluttered in her ear. Hiding behind a shoji screen, she peeked at the two men. There was no mistaking it, they were inuyokai. Except these two men wore clothing even more elegant and rich than Sesshomaru did, and in between their eyes was the symbol of what looked like a half-moon. Once at a safe distance, Rin followed the men. 

She didn’t need to tail them long, as they made their way into a small courtyard where more yokai were gathered, which was most unusual at this late hour. She’d never seen anything like this in her days sleeping in the castle.

Rin remained out of sight, but maneuvered herself closer to the center of the courtyard to examine what all the commotion was about. All the strange men began setting themselves around a formal arrangement of samurai. And at the lead of the arrangement was…

Sesshomaru. He was formally dressed. The way he sat cross legged exuded leadership. Master Jaken sat at his side, radiating a similar energy. The samurai who conversed were now silent. 

“I, Mikazuki no Sesshomaru, proclaim the establishment of my empire. Mikazuki banners shall hang high across all yokai and human provinces. The Nisshoku will bow or be decimated. It shall be so.” 

The many yokai, nobility and samurai alike, cheered at Sesshomaru’s proclamation. 

Royakan was the first to pledge his fealty to the Lord. One after another, the various yokai swore oath to serve their Lord in his conquest. 

All Rin could do was stand still with bated breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n  
> Since Kagome comes from 1996-1999 Japan, I figured she would have a stockpile of random time appropriate gadgets from that period.


	4. Aristocracy

The following morning was unlike any Rin had experienced during her limited stay within the castle in the sky. The once empty halls were now filled shoulder to shoulder with strange yokai, noblemen and samurai alike, who conversed and debated at no concern of their volume. Since the night of Sesshomaru’s proclamation, Rin had not since been able to locate him. All morning she had been searching for him. She even called his name not once or twice, but three times. Not a single time did he come to her. Another lie, she noted. 

While aimlessly asking around for help to no avail, she finally recognized a single familiar face among many. Strutting down the grand hall as if he owned the place was none other than Master Jaken, who was now in fancier silk garments and carried with him a bundle of scrolls larger than his tiny body. He bossed everyone around he deemed out of place and shouted orders to which no one challenged. 

At least she now knew why Master Jaken was in such high spirits the day before. He knew of Sesshomaru’s intentions, before even she knew. When she took that moment to reassess the day, many things suddenly began to make sense. Royakan must have known Sesshomaru’s intentions, as well. And his former teacher, Mangetsu no Itazo.

“Lady Rin!” The little green imp greeted her with glee. “You mustn’t lounge about in _that._ ” Eyeing the single white kosode she threw on in a tizzy the night before. “You must quickly dress in formal attire, much is expected of you today.” He wasn’t ordering her around, but it sure felt like he was.

“Where is Sesshomaru?” Rin brought out her stern and cold tone, making her clear agitation known to the imp. He knew full well at this point how enraged she was, as it was such a rare tone for her to resort to in the first place. 

“Lord Sesshomaru is about discussing particulars of Mikazuki’s next strategy, while I, Chief Minister, gather word of attendance of the lords of lesser clans,” He wasn’t answering, he was gloating. “He shall return shortly, for your company, as you should already know.”

“I didn’t.”

“Wha- he hadn’t told you?” The newly-appointed Chief Minister instantly expressed genuine concern. Once taking note of his lost composure, he quickly retracted. “Well, in any case, quickly get dressed and make way to the gra-”

“Jaken.” The tiny imp froze solid, as did the girl. Sesshomaru had interjected their conversation. “Surely you weren’t ordering your Lady around like a servant?” While Master Jaken looked upon Sesshomaru with nervous admiration, Rin looked upon him with malice. Both men took clear notice. 

“O-of course not, m’Lord!” Master Jaken quickly gathered the scrolls he’d just dropped and excused himself, allowing the newly-wedded couple to sort out their marital issues amongst themselves.

Rin shot Sesshomaru such a glare she might as well have burned a hole through him. As always, his blank stare showed no emotion. Once leading his way into to an empty room, with Rin storming close behind, he turned to her after shutting a shoji screen shut. 

“When were you going to tell me?” She wailed with arms crossed. 

“Just now.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” A wince escaped her strained voice. But she mustn’t cry. “I’m now your wife. Shouldn’t I have been the first you told of your intentions?” She wanted so much to tell him why this hurt her so. How all she wanted was to travel with him, and wanted no part in whatever ambition this was. How he should have at least been open with her in what he wanted. Yet she couldn’t find the words.

“And just what political or militaristic advice would you have provided me?” He said so coldly. It was an insult she was sure he didn’t intend, but clearly he had a point in his mind he wanted to make. And he was right. 

So right that Rin didn’t have it in her to hear his voice anymore after pleading all morning trying to get it. His words were too sharp, too cold for her in that moment. About to storm out the room, she was halted in her footing. A sudden tension tugging at her arm pulled her back. Sesshomaru grabbed her in a firm seize, preventing her from leaving.

“I need you at my side.” His voice was on the verge of a crack, as if he was pleading with her. His golden stare pierced through her aching soul. 

“You’re hurting me.” Instantly releasing his hold of her, she shot him the coldest stare she had left in her to give. She did not try to leave again. Perhaps it was defeat. “I need you to be honest with me from now on.” Rin wanted to cry. She was so hurt, and knowing her husband carried little thought on her behalf only made it worse. With her back then turned, she moved her gaze downward. “ _With the power of trust, there is nothing to fear._ ”

The silence in the room was a clear indicator she broke through that shell of his. Those were his exact words to her at one point. In that very same conversation when he told her she could call upon him at any time. That their hearts were tied together. She was eleven. 

In that moment, Sesshomaru pulled Rin in for a tight embrace. His strong forearms locked around the soft of her bust, his nose buried in the curve of her neck. The heat of his breath billowing down on her nape and jawline sent shivers down her spine. Her instinct told her to wrap her arms around his out of feminine nurture, but she ignored her inner urges. 

“You told me you would follow me wherever I found myself,” She did. Though this was nowhere near what she had imagined. “Please allow me to show you my greatness. Your forever will be spent as the pillar my empire stands on.” His statement carried such integrity. Suddenly, the pieces were beginning to come together in her mind. Is that what this was about?

_Is it really for my benefit?_

She would be lying if she told herself she didn’t want to see Sesshomaru’s great empire. She spent many nights as a child crying herself to sleep thinking to herself she would never live to see it, cursing her mortality. Master Jaken even teased her many times about it. To think that he would be rushing such an event simply for her sake. Just how prepared was he for this endeavor? 

Soft and tender, she grasped his forearm. “I will always follow you. There was never any doubt about that. If this is truly what you desire, I will support you…” She must have given up.

Her husband squeezed her tightly in commendation. Kissing her collarbone, he sent her further praise. “Your support is all I will ever need.”

The pair found solace in the company of the other, despite the emotional dread they weathered. They stood in their embrace for longer than they should have. There was so, so much more Rin wished she could have said to her husband, but she didn’t have the heart to bring him down from his pedestal he rose so high on.

About to break off their entanglement, Rin felt a sharp and numb sensation tugging at her shoulder blade. Sesshomaru began licking off the trickles of dried blood his bite mark left the night before. With everything going on, she completely forgot about this wound. His treks were deep and thorough. It wasn’t in a sexual manner at all, but that of coddle. Primming with absolute priority, her fresh wound was spotless. He then moved his nose to the edge of her hairline and took in a deep whiff. “You need a wash.” 

He was right. She hadn’t bathed since the morning prior, and so much had happened since then. She must have smelled pretty bad to someone with an inhumanly keen sense of smell. About to excuse herself to go draw a bath, her train of thought was interrupted by a large, gratuitous trail of saliva sliding from her temple to her jawline. 

Sesshomaru bombarded the side of her face with long, pronounced, and very wet licks. Before he proceeded any further she frantically pushed his body away from her. “What are you _doing_? You said I needed to wash!” She asked in horror. 

“That’s why I’m cleaning you.” Rin’s cheeks flushed a deep red. His blank expression then soured in insult at realizing her concerns. “I can assure you my saliva is far cleaner than that filthy lake water dredged up here.”

“I’ll take the lake water!” Rin huffed, storming out the room. 

After washing herself in scalding hot yet blissful lake water within a most welcome solitude, Rin stepped out of the bath to be met with two servants awaiting her presence. Drying her body with much haste, the women then escorted the nude girl into a large and decorative dressing room. Once in undergarments, the yokai women began dressing the Lady in many, many, many layers of fine silk kosode. After the marathon of layers laid rest on her bony body, Rin was finally in a complete, proper junihitoe. Even if she didn’t quite feel like it, her presence exuded that of a high class noblewoman. 

Once the attendants brushed and lavished her hair in scented oils, Rin was free. Or so she thought.

She could not for the life of her move under such impossibly heavy garments. Under nearly twenty kilograms of fabric and silk weighing down her tiny frame, she nearly toppled over her own ankles. Just as she was to fall completely over, she was rescued by her husband’s firm clutch, who had just entered the room without prior warning. The look in his eyes told her he wanted to express to her just how beautiful she was, but the many eyes of the servants looking their way prevented him from doing so. 

In his hand held the solid mother of pearl kaiken he had gifted her for their wedding. He fastened it tightly within her obi without her intervention. 

“It’s so beautiful, but…why would you have a blade made for me? I don’t know how to fight.” She wanted to ask him this when he gifted it to her, but she hadn’t found the time until now. 

“It’s for your own peace of mind.” He assured. “Know that you will always have my protection. In more ways than one.” But she only needed him for protection, not any object. She only _wanted_ him. Nevertheless, a gift from Sesshomaru was always deeply appreciated. Not to mention it was a part of him, as it was made of his own fang. 

Suddenly she remembered the hairpin Totosai gifted her. The pin which was dipped in a poison that was specifically deadly only to poison type yokai. Was this also an object she need to keep on her person at all times? She decided she didn’t need to worry about that now. 

“Where are we going?” Rin inquired her husband as he escorted her through the courtyard. 

“We will be requesting alliance with the Hangetsu clan.” The Hangetsu clan? Were those the same inuyokai with the half-moon marking she’d been seeing all about the castle since last night? “You are not to speak once, under any circumstance.” Sesshomaru further instructed. 

The Lord and his Lady found themselves in a large and empty room, similar to that of a dojo. All shoji screens were slid open facing the courtyard’s garden. Just as they set themselves down, a tall and thin servant, quite the opposite of their own Master Jaken, formally announced two figures as they entered the room. “His divine excellency, Lord Hangetsu no Naramitsu, and our most honorable Inu no Taisho, Hangetsu no Ashino.” 

_Inu no Taisho?_

That’s what they called Sesshomaru’s father, she was sure of it.

The two inuyokai who entered the room did indeed have the half-moon marking centered on their foreheads. A Lord and a general. 

The Lord was extravagantly dressed. Yet his over decadence did not overbear his foreboding composure. He held the demeanor of a warlord, just as Sesshomaru did. It could even be said Naramitsu looked even more capable; his age to Sesshomaru’s must have at least been doubled. The idea of an inuyokai with twice the experience of Sesshomaru’s was a terrifying one.

Ashino, on the other hand, looked about the same age as Sesshomaru, possibly even younger. Similarly, he held that signature deadpan glare that seemed so trademark to many inuyokai. And much like inuyokai, he was gorgeous. His hair was curled and wild, much of it tied in a knot. 

The men set themselves down in front of the Lord and his Lady, never once letting their gaze leave Sesshomaru’s. 

“Sesshomaru!” The Lord violently touted. “Is this a joke?!” Lord Naramitsu with no doubt was alluding to Rin completely red with fury, looking as if he were about to burst, like a kettle boiling over an open flame. 

“Surely you would be laughing if it were.” Sesshomaru kept his noble composure. 

“When you informed our court you would be walking your father’s footsteps, I would have never imagined you implied his perversions.” The general who kneeled to the side of his Lord interrupted in a flat and casual tone. 

“You know well of my intentions.” Sesshomaru’s brow furrowed. 

“The path of supreme conquest, in which Toga desired to overthrow his Lord.” Lord Naramitsu plainly stated. “His battle with Ryukotsusei was a most unwelcome diversion, and ultimately he shamefully met demise at the hands of a mere human of the name Setsuna no Takemaru. Upon his death, his control of the western lands was released back to the Nisshoku.” He continued. “You believe these lands rightfully belong to you.” 

“Naramitsu,” Sesshomaru began. She took notice the two Lords never once addressed the other with a formal title. “I request your aid in reclaiming the western lands.” This was a big deal, as Sesshomaru never requested anything. Just how powerful was the Nisshoku? 

The men further discussed topics Rin had no way of understanding. Even if she did, it wasn’t as if she could interject at all, as she _was_ instructed to keep silent the entire meeting. 

Once terms were set and the Hangetsu nobility took their formal leave, the Lord and Lady made their way through the courtyard garden. There was a sudden commotion erupting from its center. Dozens of yokai spectated the scene of a large, boarish man riding a phoenix smaller than himself. He had sharp ears, tanned skin, and spiked bundles of fiery red hair strewn about his head and his face.

Saying he was large was an understatement. He must have been the size of a house, maybe bigger. He towered over the couple as he made his way toward their presence. 

“Sesshomaru!” The large yokai gleamed with joy. “You’ve grown! You look just as Toga did the day I forged his armor.” Did he say he forged his armor?

“Goryouki,” Sesshomaru smiled lightly at the large and homely yokai, showing his respect. “You weren’t supposed to arrive until evening.” 

“You knew well I was going to head right over as soon as I received word of your proclamation,” Goryouki sounded so eager. Just as he was about to continue, he turned his focus over to Rin. “And you must be the Lady.” The impossibly large yokai then bowed to her in deep respect. “It is an honor.” She was surprised to see a yokai with looks as hardened as his show her genuine praise. She properly nodded at his bow in acknowledgment. 

“Rin, this is Goryouki. He is a renowned armorer within the yokai provinces.” Sesshomaru felt inclined to introduce her to the smith. He must have respected him. Which was such a contrast to how he acted towards Totosai, the renowned weaponsmith. “I have commissioned him to craft me armor suitable of a ruler.”

“And suitable it shall be,” Goryouki proudly assured. “I will make certain your armor will mold to your true form even better than Toga’s.” 

Rin had to reassess that sentence of his in her head. “So what you’re saying is, when my husband transforms into his true form, his armor will change with his body?”

“Correct!” The strange yokai gloated. He turned his attention back to Sesshomaru. “Toga required much more material for his true form, yours shouldn’t take nearly as much. I however will not finish your armor sooner in result of this, I will make certain each piece is molded to perfection. Your foes will come to regret leaving a mark on my work.”

The two chatted away at particulars of this prospecting armor. Sesshomaru then left Rin’s presence to allow Goryouki to take his measurements. She was alone for but a moment. 

“There you are, little pup. Are you ready to get your feet wet in our political affairs?” Rin turned around to find the Lady Mother, as beautiful as ever, approaching her. Rin bowed to greet her mother-in-law. 

“Lady Mother, what political affairs do you speak of?” Rin truly wasn’t prepared for everything that was expected of her today. Master Jaken wasn’t jesting. 

The Lady Mother locked arms with her daughter-in-law and begun to stroll the zen garden. “Today we are meeting with Lord Naramitsu’s brother, who is ranked very high within his court. The success of this meeting is imperative in the conquest of the Nisshoku.” 

She suddenly remembered the night before, as well as her meeting Lord Naramitsu, when her husband also mentioned this clan. “Lady Mother, who are the Nisshoku?” 

“Hn? My son hadn’t told you?” The girl shamefully shook her head. 

The inu mother sighed in part of her son’s negligence. “The Nisshoku are the clan of the eclipse. They are identified by no symbol at all. My late husband, Nissshoku no Toga, was of this clan.” Rin suddenly felt like she had all the pieces of the puzzle within her grasp. 

“Are there many inuyokai clans?” She needed to know in order to avoid any further confusion.

“There are only four, each representing a moon phase. And each sporting their own unique strengths. And weaknesses.” Great inuyokai such as Sesshomaru having a weakness? Just the notion was humorous. 

Making their way through the garden, the women were then greeted by two inuyokai within the adjacent courtyard, whom both sported the signature half-moon of the Hangetsu. A tall nobleman with sharp yet kind eyes, and a young girl who was dressed in proper junihitoe featuring many fine, contrasting colors. She looked like a doll. Wide eyed and flushed with pink cheeks, the girl was so unbelievably cute. She was smaller in frame than even Rin, indicating they were either the same age or she could possibly be younger than her in whatever measurement of time the inuyokai went by. 

The nobleman greeted Lady Mother with the dolled up girl tailing his side. “Lady Inukimi, how the centuries have been most kind to you.” Rin honestly couldn’t tell if that was a backhanded comment or genuine praise. 

“Lord Tazou, your flattery should not go unnoticed…” Lady Mother moved her sleeve to her face, feigning embarrassment. 

“Lady Inukimi, this here is my daughter, Kirako. Surely you must remember her.” The man spoke through his cinched fan. 

“Ah, my, my, how you’ve grown! You’ve matured into the most adorable little thing.” Lady Mother praised the young girl, to which she shyly accepted such admiration in a little bow. Lady Mother then moved her attention back to Tazou, locking arms with the man with no value of his personal space. “Come, Lord Tazou, we must continue this greeting alone. You two girls chat away while we discuss particulars of our arrangement…” The man and woman rather abruptly left the presence of the young girls. Not knowing at all where to begin, Rin decided to show Kirako around the beautiful castle. The two did not exchange words for a long moment, until Rin herself was able to find the courage to speak up. 

“So, your name is Kirako, right? It’s so nice to finally meet other girls my age around here. My name is Rin,” Kirako did not respond right away. 

“You are Lord Sesshomaru’s Lady wife?” The girl asked innocently. Rin nodded. 

Just then, Kirako jumped onto Rin in a surprise embrace. The girl hugged her tightly as if welcoming an old friend. Rin smiled at such a sweet and childish gesture. Blushing lightly, she hugged back.

Confusingly, she began to hear a rustling within Kirako’s junihitoe. About to ask what she was doing, she felt a warm wetness weighing down her fabric, which seeped and draped over her ankle to her foot. Looking down as Kirako readjusted herself, she wanted to scream. 

She peed on her. 

Rin was just as baffled as she was horrified. 

“Hmph.” Kirako huffed as she waved her fan over her face, strutting away as if nothing she just did warranted any shame. 

Rin wanted to cry, yell, and run away, in that order. But she knew she had to hold some integrity. She was a Lady now and she needed to act with grace. 

After several long minutes of absence, the Lady Mother wailed up the halls facing the garden. “Pup, where on earth have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you, but for some reason I couldn’t track your scent.” The Lady Mother found Rin kneeling over and sniffling to herself next to a stone pagoda in the garden. 

Fully enraged and teary eyed, Rin pointed to the wet spot at the base of her now ruined fine silk garments. “ **Kirako peed on me!** ” 

Lady Mother’s eyes widened in as much shock her typical stoic demeanor would allow. “Oh, my, _**you’re**_ the one stinking like that?” The inuyokai flipped her fan over her nose. Sighing at the girl’s misfortune, she began shoving the pitiful girl into an empty room. “Come, let’s get that taken care of quickly.” Lady Mother fussed with Rin’s soaked garments after setting her down. 

“Why did she pee on me?!” Tears forcefully made their way down Rin’s face, which was flushed a bright red.

“Well, it’s usually a display of dominance,” That explains the physical part of the why, but not the metaphysical one. Lady Mother then spoke notingly to herself. “Though, I never thought her to be the alpha type. I like her.”

Rin wanted to unleash a river of tears at this point, but was distracted by even more wetness gathering down below. The Lady Mother began licking her from ankle to foot. This was absolutely no different from when her husband tried to clean her earlier. Rin turned pale. She was too stressed at this point to say anything and simply let it happen. 

After a short minute, which felt like hours to Rin, the women made their way to the front corridor. The Lady Mother then filled Rin in on where they were going after being asked. “I had intended to arrange Sesshomaru to marry Kirako,” Oh. Suddenly Kirako’s earlier actions made complete sense. “However, there are options.”

“Options?”

“Although my brother is married, he is very much able to take on a second wife. Hangetsu court will recognize this union.” Sesshomaru has an uncle?

Scurrying in the room with no warning, the women were then greeted by Master Jaken, who seemed to be impatiently searching for them. “Lady Mother, Lady Rin, I have come in attendance o-” While catching his breath, the imp soured his face and pinched his nose. “Urgh- what is that odor? It smells like dog urine.” Rin just wanted to run away from it all, while Lady Mother giggled at her side. 

Upon entry of the room, Rin had noticed a vaguely familiar face. It was the inuyokai who attended their wedding ceremony, the beautiful man with braided hair and purple stained lips. He lounged about freely over a futon, smoking a long pipe with unknown contents.

“Sayamaru,” Lady Mother heightened her tone just a bit. “You know precisely why we’re here.”

“Inukimi, you know I don’t like women.” The beautiful man moved his hand to his forehead in a pained motion.

“Oh, she’s just a girl. There’s really no fuss.” She tried to assure her brother. 

“That’s even worse. I bet she’s as clingy as a cicada on bark.” Sayamaru pouted, taking a long drag of his pipe. “Not to mention, I already did my clan _duty_. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a free man.” 

“Oh please, that was centuries ago.” Lady Mother waved her hands apprehensively. “Won’t you do it for Sesshomaru’s sake? We’re relying on you."

“Why can’t Sesshomaru marry the girl himself?” That’s the question Rin was sure everyone had weighing on their minds. She suddenly felt all eyes in the room focus on her. 

“He will not.” Lady Mother grazed Rin with a side glance.

“Ugh, what a stubborn child. This is what happens when you let him do whatever he wants.” Rin could tell the Lady Mother wanted to tear her own brother’s throat out. Though she could sympathize with Sayamaru, being asked to marry a stranger out of nowhere is ludicrous. The man took another hit of his pipe. “If I agree to this, you know what I’m going to demand.” 

Lady Mother riled up with a feigned appreciation. “Of course, and your nephew is most willing to oblige.” Rin wanted to ask what this was about, but she didn’t feel it was her place to. 

There was no official ceremony for Kirako and Sayamaru. Even if there was one, Rin had no way of knowing about it. One morning they were simply known within the castle as husband and wife, and Kirako had now become a permanent resident of the castle in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Junihitoe" is a traditional type of dress exclusively worn by high-class noblewomen throughout the heian, sengoku and even edo periods, and is sometimes even worn today by members of the imperial house of Japan. It's traditionally 12 layers of silk garments layered on top of each other, weighing up to twenty kilograms altogether. Though the exact number of layers can vary, less could be worn in the summer months and more in winter.


	5. Omen

Without Rin knowing, she had suddenly become Kirako’s personal attendant. 

“And that was when he told me to get out of his sight! The nerve of him!” The deceivingly cute inuyokai pouted.

“Child, you’re being much too clingy. I barely saw my late husband for a little less than a century after Sesshomaru was born,” The Lady Mother lazily interjected as she cooled herself with her fan. 

The ladies sat around a decorative display of sweets, with nothing else better to do than gossip. When reaching for the last piece of manjuu on the plate, Rin was halted by the glaring red eyes Kirako flashed at her, which was accompanied by a deep and threatening growl. Taking her hand back, Kirako then reverted back to her deceptively innocent nature and took the last piece of manjuu for herself. 

The weeks that followed her move into the castle in the sky were eventful to say the least. Despite Kirako’s initial introduction with Rin, she wasn’t exactly spiteful afterward. She did, however, often display her dominance over the newly-appointed Lady whenever she deemed necessary. This included but was not limited to spitting, growling, staring, forcing her to wait for her when she was getting ready in the morning, and among other things. Rin really didn’t know anything about the alpha or beta dynamics of inuyokai culture, but evidently Kirako was now the ‘boss’ of whatever kind of relationship this was. Of course she complained to Sesshomaru about the things Kirako had done to her, especially the instance when she urinated on her, to which he simply teased her by asking if she peed on her back. 

It was just overall foreign behavior Rin had no way of understanding. At some point she simply gave up trying to. 

“Dear, you shouldn’t be eating so many sweets, otherwise your marital affairs certainly won’t improve.” Lady Mother coldly sneered at Kirako. “Oh, and pup, you on the other hand should be eating more. The last thing you want is to maintain that lanky figure, men do need soft, womanly curves to crawl to at night…” Rin took notice that the Lady Mother frequently referred to her as pup, and not in a loving manner fond of inu culture, but more of how one would refer to livestock. It wasn’t in her place to bring this to her attention, so she simply let it be. As she did with everything else since living in the castle.

“Not that it matters! He hasn’t touched me once!” Kirako wailed as she shoved a piece of daifuku in her mouth. 

Rin could sympathize with this complaint. Her own husband hadn’t touched her since the night of their wedding. As much as the initial experience felt incredibly good, it wasn’t particularly a big deal at first, but after a few weeks it began to weigh over her mind like a black cloud. She wondered if there was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way, and suddenly he just wasn’t as attracted to her anymore because of it. 

“Ugh, children these days are so complicated,” Lady Mother interrupted with a strained sigh. “Back in my days of youth, if you were bored, you simply took on a lover.” Both young girls gawked at the mistress in shock. Lady Mother then continued. “If someone was dashing enough to catch your eye, you had a poem sent their way. If they were to accept, you would greet one another at a discreet location. Like many dignified Ladies of my time, I too shared many lovers…” Rin was already having so much trouble sorting out her feelings over one man, there was no way she was about to take another on her plate.

The ladies were interrupted by a crowd of men discussing political matters as they made their way down the hall adjacent to the garden. Two of those voices were most familiar to Rin. 

Sesshomaru lead the group while Master Jaken tailed behind, though by the way he carried himself, any unsuspecting soul would assume the little imp was in charge. Rin eagerly hurried her way to group to go greet her husband, or as quickly as she could manage under the many heavy garments of her junihitoe. It was an impediment she still was not used to. 

“Sesshomaru.” Rin infiltrated the small group of nobility, all of which bowed in deep respect to the Lady, including Master Jaken. Taking the social cue, the imp then escorted the noblemen away, leaving the Lord and his Lady in a much needed solitude. Rin learned to deeply appreciate moments like these, as they were becoming increasingly rare as of late. 

“How have you been faring with mother?” Sesshomaru spoke softly, setting himself down on the engawa next to Rin, who followed close behind. 

“Well, she’d been telling me stories of her many lovers in the past…” She innocently blurted.

Her husband painfully forced a deep inhale. “I apologize.” Rin pushed her sleeve over her lips, trying not to scoff at his evident uncomfort. 

Not knowing how else to keep the conversation going, she was then reminded of Kirako’s earlier complaints, how Sayamaru wouldn’t touch her. And that of the Lady Mother’s, who claimed her lanky body was most unappealing to men. Just what was appealing to Sesshomaru, she thought? She bit her lip in anticipation. 

“You’re aroused.” Sesshomaru stated so calmly without any shame. Rin furiously blushed.

“…you can smell that?” He lowered his chin in a slight nod. “Um…I know you’ve been busy with planning the war, but…” Those words of hers were so difficult to find, let alone speak aloud. “Do you want to…you know?” 

Her husband smiled lightly at her implications. It was perhaps the most direct she had been since their wedding, and her confidence did not go unnoticed. His expression then soured with strain. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Oh…” Was that truly his concern? It did make sense from his perspective, she supposed. However she already told him that it was natural, the most natural thing one would argue. She would push through the pain if she had to. She simply wanted to be with him, spend more time with him in any capacity at all. And as she thought to herself, such a thing did feel quite nice…

The girl’s train of thought was then interrupted by a loud clashing noise centered within the garden. Many guests and residents of the castle alike gathered to the site of the noise. Once peeking at the commotion themselves, they saw it was the master armorer known as Goryouki riding atop his phoenix, carrying with him a large cloth satchel. 

“Sesshomaru!” The large yokai boasted as he dismounted his fiery red bird. “Your armor is finished.” Goryouki then placed and unwrapped the cloth in front of the Lord and his Lady, presenting Sesshomaru’s armor with utmost pride. It was gleaming silver and indigo, with small vermilion stripes cascading the base of the armor. It was nothing short of magnificent. Its mere presence exuded that of a warlord’s. A ruler. 

When aiding Sesshomaru in wearing the armor, another figure came crashing down into the courtyard garden, sending the nobles further into a tizzy. It was the master bladesmith Totosai, riding atop his beady-eyed ox with much indifference. 

“Yo.” The old man casually greeted Sesshomaru with much less pageant. “You know I don’t usually make house calls, but word is you’re going to war. Might as well let me take a look at your bakusaiga if that’s the case.” The master smiths shared a long glance at one another, seemingly harboring no emotion at all. No words were exchanged between them.

Rin decided to sit with Totosai as he made work on sharpening bakusaiga while Sesshomaru was still busy being suited in his new set of armor. The master bladesmith hastily set up a makeshift crafting table where he could begin honing the blade. Rin kneeled to his side, watching with great interest. 

“Are you not friends with Goryouki?” Her childlike curiosity piqued. 

“Not friends, nor enemies. We often cross paths with one another, though. You could say we share the same fate.” The old man intently focused on his work. “I craft blades with the hope that they will never be used.” The master bladesmith tapped out another kink within bakusaiga’s blade. “Goryouki is the opposite. He crafts armor hoping that his work will get much use in battle.”

“Oh…”

“So, little lady, I see you’re not wearing my pin I gave you.” Rin froze. She didn’t quite know how to respond to that. “You need to have that on you at all times.”

“The poison pin, right? Why would I be wearing it…?” Surely the old man was teasing her. Why would she need to keep such a dangerous object on her? It was only harmful to Sesshomaru. 

Both were interrupted by a large bout of clapping centered at the crowd of nobles surrounding Sesshomaru. But they didn’t have to move from their placement to see what the cheer was about, as Sesshomaru himself emerged from the crowed and walked towards their presence. He was fully equipped in his new armor. Rin was in absolute awe. While Totosai seemed focused on finishing up his blade. 

“It’s finished. Try not to let it get banged up as bad as it was.” Totosai rudely went straight to the point as he handed the finished bakusaiga to Sesshomaru, paying no mind to his new armor. 

The Lady Mother then made her way to the center of the garden. “You look just like your father.” She praised her son.  
Sesshomaru glanced fondly at his mother, then turned his gaze to Rin’s.

“Let’s make use of this armor.”

“Let’s?” Rin wasn’t sure what he meant. Sesshomaru grinned before his eyes flashed bright red and his teeth turned razor sharp as he entirely dispersed into a bright ball of light. 

Emerging from the bright light was a large and hairy beast bearing little resemblance to a dog. Just as Goryouki said, his armor molded to his true form. And it was meticulously crafted. With wild eyes gleaming red and claws the size of jagged boulders, the beast locked eyes on Rin. Strutting toward her with utmost elegance, he then kneeled in her presence, allowing Rin easy passage to his nape. Realizing his intent, the girl gleamed in absolute glee and eagerly rustled herself onto his back, with the great inu guiding her whenever she needed aid. After wobbling about in her heavy junihotoe to get in the right position, she was fully mounted atop Sesshomaru’s back. 

And just at that, he leapt into the air and rode into the skies.

For just a moment, Rin felt nothing. The most wonderful nothing in the world. She felt like a bird as Sesshomaru glided through the clear open sky. A bird without a single care or struggle. The harsh wind slapped her cheeks and whipped her hair. Her heart felt weightless while so high up in the sky. 

How she wished she could fly herself whenever she felt like it. It was one of the many things she envied her husband for. Escaping from the many duties she now had whenever she felt like it sounded so wonderful. 

Sesshomaru intently gazed down on the lands below, searching for his challenge. He was eager to make use of his new armor, and she could tell. Rin also squinted her eyes at the vast meadows, looking for anything particularly eye-catching. It didn’t take long for her to take notice of a certain commotion. 

A band of riders clashed with a small village of farmers nestled snug within the valley. Bandits. Of which mercilessly cut down innocents left and right atop their horses. The blood in Rin’s veins boiled. It was a most familiar scene. 

Knowing this wasn’t exactly the challenge Sesshomaru sought after, she also knew well he wouldn’t allow such an event to fester in her presence. Perhaps, or likely rather, he would normally ignore scenes like these while out on his own, as such human matters was of no concern to him. However he was well aware of just how compassionate of a heart Rin possessed, and her seeing such unneeded violence caused her such strain. He was also woefully aware of her history. An exchange of words were unnecessary. 

Once dismounted, Sesshomaru reverted back to his human form and sat Rin comfortably on a bed of soft grass on a high hill overlooking the village, assuring her he will take on this ‘challenge.’ His form then turned into that of a bright ball of light, which then zipped away to where the bandits were gathered. She was met with great relief seeing the innocents were fleeing to safety once the inuyokai caught the bandits’ attention. The battle begun. 

The bandits encircled Sesshomaru on their mounts as if it wasn’t their first time being met with danger at the hands of a yokai. Perhaps they had slain many yokai. But unbeknownst to them this was a fight they simply could not win. Three men wielding odachi charged with much haste, and were just as quickly met with a swift and merciless death at the end of Sesshomaru’s light whip. They were supposedly too weak for him to blunt his bakusaiga. 

Rin energetically clapped at her husband’s valor. He looked so glorious, especially to her. Standing proud and tall over his bested enemies, he was just as he should be in her eyes. 

Three more men, and three more dead. Or six, with the horses being caught up in the slicing. She wondered if that was really necessary. 

Faces red with fury, the more capable looking men charged at Sesshomaru with every ounce of their being, welcoming death had it been their time. It wasn’t death they faced in that instant, but a harsh fall in the rice paddies once the inuyokai sliced at the tendons of their horses. Sesshomaru was now toying with the men, like how a child toys with bugs in the dirt. The men charged at the inuyokai yelling with the deepest bellows of their lungs, their battlecries rang in her ears. 

Bakusaiga was then drawn. 

Sesshomaru, with much skill, parried each of the men’s strikes and brought to them deep, clean slices. Blood gushed from missing limbs like fountains. Cries of pride and honor then turned to that of screeching fear and pain. Rin’s stomach was curdling. 

The final riders dismounted their horses at will. 

The leader stood proud among the few men he had left, who were trebling so vigorously their varied stolen armor rattled. The first of the terrified men charged Sesshomaru with an attack lacking the spirit he once had moments ago. Parrying the bandit’s wobbly attack, he then stabbed the man’s back with his bakusaiga, spreading him almost neatly in half. It was such a gruesome sight even for Rin to stomach. She had seen much death during her travels with Sesshomaru, but somehow this moment felt different. As if he was gloating, or perhaps showing off. 

The last few men fared little progress. The inuyokai relieved them of their despair in a quick death at the harsh blunts of his bakusaiga. All that was left was the leader. He had no fear in his eyes. Perhaps he was prepared to die. All it took was one strike of his axe to realize the extent of his fate. The bandit leader toppled over his own knees. Sesshomaru then ripped the poor bastard’s head right out of his torso, parts of his spine still attached to the skull draped in oozes of blood and fleshy viscera. Now it was too much for Rin to stomach. 

While anxiously looking for anything else to distract herself with in that moment, she caught eye of a wide bed of flowers sitting atop the hill. It had been so long since she last spent some of her free time picking flowers, she thought. Grinning with anticipation, she crawled her way to the gorgeous display of purple and pink and began arranging herself a bouquet. While getting lost in her convenient diversion, she thought to herself just how she would arrange her bounty in her room, many ideas of which spawned in her mind all at once. 

Sounds of the light pounding of footsteps trekking on grass and dirt fluttered in her ear. 

Turning her gaze, she caught eye of Sesshomaru, who marched up the hill with burning intent in his sight. Head to toe his new armor was splattered with the blood of his foes. Just as Rin was about to set herself up to greet him, he pushed her back down onto the bed of flowers with his body following atop. He then kissed her deeply on her soft, pillowy lips. 

It was the first time he had kissed her on the lips since they became husband and wife. 

His actions exuded passion, or rather, hunger. As if he needed her in that very moment. His tongue invaded her mouth, dancing with hers. A sensation very new to Rin. With one free hand he pressed it firmly on her right breast, cupping and groping with such a force she felt was completely unnecessary. He then used his other hand to graze underneath one leg of her hakama, making his way up to her inner thigh. Rin simply laid there helpless, allowing the man to do as he pleased with her. But something didn’t sit right with her. 

“Blood.” She said, breaking apart their kiss. “You’re covered…” To say he was covered was an understatement. He was drenched. His mokomoko looked as if it was dipped in red ink. She felt nauseated. Even she could smell the salty stench of death radiating off of his person, so she could only imagine how vividly he was smelling himself. 

He smiled. 

Rin gasped as Sesshomaru then lifted her up off the grass entirely and leaped into the sky. The pretty bundle of flowers she held in her grasp fell back to the ground in a whirlwind motion. 

Gliding so high up in the air they could touch the clouds, Rin’s heart skipped several beats. The sight was so beautiful. Just as beautiful as when she was riding on his back. Only this time her husband was carrying her in human form, with such care for her comfort at that. Even though he would never in a million years drop her, she still tightly held onto him for dear life. 

Sesshomaru gracefully fell down into a heavily wooded and misted area. The smell of salt filled her nostrils. When gently placing her on her feet, Rin could easily realize just where they were. 

It was a hot spring. 

Certainly it was tiny, but still the spring nestled solemnly deep within the heavily wooded mountain, seemingly untouched by civilization. It was so long since Rin relaxed in a hot spring, years in fact. Not since she went with Sango and Kagome, on a ‘girl’s trip,’ as the miko called it. 

With eyes still locked onto his Lady wife, Sesshomaru began undoing his new armor, setting each piece neatly on the ground at his feet. Before feeling like she was staring for much longer than she should have, Rin began to follow suit. The many layers of kosode were extremely difficult to wiggle out of, yet she did what she could. Eventually she needed the aid of her husband after he was finished removing his clothing. 

The two were entirety nude. Rin was flushed red, doing her best not to be too invasive of the daiyokai with her own eyes. Sesshomaru felt much less humility, gazing her from head to toe as if she were his next meal. 

Confusingly, Sesshomaru turned from Rin and pulled an object out of his satchel laid on the grass. Once she analyzed the object, her heart stopped. 

It was the hairpin Totosai gifted her. The pin which was dipped in a poison that was only deadly to poison yokai. Like Sesshomaru. He bundled up her hair so nicely and fastened it tight with the pin. Whispering in her ear so closely, she felt his hot breath tickle her lobe. “Stab me with this if I bite you.” He said so casually as he then attacked her neck with pecks and licks. He seemed to unphased at the implication of what he had just done or said. How could he say such a thing so nonchalantly? 

“I can’t possibly…” Never would she be able to do such a thing. Even if he somehow became possessed and did unspeakable things to her. He was absolutely everything to her. 

He lifted her body up entirely off the dirt, wrapping her legs around the small of his waist. “You **will** if I bite you. Which is **why** I won’t bite you.” He inhaled deeply, as if in a daze, as he made his way with her into the spring, sending her neckline many kisses along the way. It almost seemed as if he was teasing her. 

Near fully submerged in the water, the blood almost entirely washed off of Sesshomaru’s body. At least to her he looked clean. Once resting at the edge of the spring against a smooth boulder, he mounted Rin securely on his hip. The tips of their noses kissed as Rin wrapped her arms around his neck. The man then grasped his hardened cock and carefully nestled the tip at Rin’s entry, allowing the moment for her to catch her breath before fully sheathing himself within her.

Rin gasped at the initial entry as she held onto her husband tightly. Though, this experience was nowhere near as painful as her first, as this time she was furiously aroused, the scent of which danced with all of Sesshomaru’s senses. 

As if in a trance, Rin’s hips moved forward and backward on their own. Sesshomaru held her back just slightly, letting her know he was very much enjoying her command. Rin quickly discovered which motions felt the most pleasurable for herself, rhythmically gliding on his cock to trigger the extreme bouts of ecstasy gathering within her walls. 

Cupping her left breast with his hand, Sesshomaru hastily brought his lips to her hardened nipple, taking it in in its entirety. He suckled on her tit as if he was starved, with the edges of his fangs lightly grazing the soft of her breast. She yelped at this new sensation. 

Pushing into her with an uncontrolled force, Sesshomaru grasped onto the cheek of her backside while still securely sucking on her breast. Rin was losing her mind with all of these new sensations. Her breathing increased tremendously, and her heartbeat became erratic as the shivers within her walls heightened to a tipping point. 

Rin was riding atop a wave she was about to crash down on. She needed to relieve herself of this desperation. Her body throbbed. Her muscles tensed. As she was about to catch her climax, Sesshomaru halted her entire body of movement with one lock of his arms tied around her frame. His hands squeezed at her lower buttocks with such force she felt she might bruise. Rin cried at him to let her go, she ached for release.

“I don’t want to finish before you.” He admitted with winded breath. 

Sesshomaru then took her hand with his and moved it over her sex, encouraging her to use her own fingers to finish herself off. Surely he would have done so himself if he hadn’t been burdened with claws as sharp as blades on his. When finding her clit, the back of her hand grazed the tuft of white hair sheltering over his intimates. It was so thick and coarse compared to her soft bundle of peach fuzz. 

She wanted with all her life to ride him like a wild animal, but the strength of his hand locked on her hip prevented her from moving. Thankfully, just the pressure of his cock nestled firmly within her walls was enough to set her off. With more erratic, circular movements of her fingers around her clit, her entire body broke down around his. She whimpered and yelled as she melted into his strong and capable frame, muscles twitching about with no consequence. 

The aches and flutters of her insides pushing all around Sesshomaru’s erection turned him savage. Instantly removing his lock on her hips, he wrapped his arms around her torso and thrusted inside of her three full times, creating a rippling effect in the water surrounding them. With his third and final thrust, he let a loud, airy pant escape the base of his throat. The two bodies were entirely out of breath in that single moment. 

After relishing in so much pleasure, Rin was woefully aware of the next part. The pain. 

Burying her face into the small of his neck, she squeezed her husband as tightly as she could, trying her best not to cry as the pressure inside of her began to swell to a point of extreme uncomfort. She held her breath deeply to keep herself from panting and heaving. 

“It’s alright.” Her husband grasped a hefty bundle of her hair and deeply kissed her cheek in a soothing manner. Holding her body tightly to his, he began to slightly rock her back and fourth as if in a chant. “Just hold on to me tightly.” Which she did. She held onto him for dear life. Somehow, digging into his flesh with her fingernails eased her pain just slightly so. And after a short while, perhaps even shorter than the first time they laid together, the pain within her walls began to subside. 

While brushing loose, fallen strands of her hair lightly with his fingertips, Sesshomaru could hear a rustling sound in his mokomoko, in which Rin had curled herself up in while searching for any comfort in the pain she was experiencing earlier. The girl then energetically moved her face into his displaying a little grin, indicating she wasn’t hurting anymore and was now in a playful mood. Without a word she began trailing her soft fingertips over the bright stripes on his face. 

“I wish I had pretty markings like this,” For a moment Rin thought to herself how accentuated her beauty would be with stripes like those.

“If you did, it would tell me how deadly you are.” 

“Really?” 

Her husband decided to humor her. “Stripes like mine tell foes I’m poisonous. Being double striped means I’m twice as deadly.”

Rin grinned furiously. “You know, I like being stuck together like this.” Despite the slimy, plugged up feeling of course. “I have your undivided attention, at least for a little while.” Or about half an hour, she corrected in her thoughts. 

“Hn.” 

Rin then stared fondly into those warm golden eyes she loved so much to stare into. “Whenever I look at you, I see… my protector. The one person I can always rely on for anything. If I’m scared, anxious, or sad, all I have to do is think of you and I already feel better.” She warmly brushed a wet strand of hair behind his long ear. “What do you think of me when you see me?”

The extended moment he took to think on his answer implied it wasn’t an easily understood subject in his mind. But when he finally spoke so bluntly, “Mine.” Rin was surprised at its simplicity.

“Oh, care to elaborate on that?” 

“No.” He said with such a flat tone as he kissed her cheek and laid her head to rest on his firm breast. Certainly implying he wanted the conversation to be over.

Rin mulled over his answer in her thoughts just a bit. _Mine_. That was eerily similar to what Inuyasha told her not too long ago. How yokai seem to have a different idea of what love is, which sounds more possessive in nature. She wondered to herself if yokai simply had a different concept of the emotion, not that they were void of the emotion entirely. It was still of little concern to her, as there was no way a human could understand yokai emotions in the first place, and she knew well she would always have his protection anyway, no matter what. She sighed under her breath as she rested her face on his warm chest, waiting out the last bit of swelling of his knot. 

The evening that followed was quiet. 

Once the Lord and his Lady returned to the castle in the sky, a storm begun to form overhead. The sky turned nearly black. The couple were hastily greeted by Master Jaken, eagerly awaiting their arrival. 

“M,lord, they’re here!” The Chief Minister grasped his staff of two heads tightly in agitation. Just who was he speaking of? Behind the imp emerged two recognizable faces. 

It was Inuyasha and Kagome. Rin was so happy to see the familiar couple, even if it wasn’t very long since she last saw them, so much had happened since then she wanted to tell them about. While making her way to the courtyard entrance to greet the two, she noticed something was off. The miko and the hanyo had expressions about them that weren’t in the least bit friendly, and Kagome herself had brought her bow and arrows. Why would such a thing be needed here? 

“Rin!!” Once their eyes locked, Kagome rushed over to the girl as if in a hurry. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” The miko grasped and held onto the girl’s arms with such sorrow in her expression. “After we’re done here, you can come with me and Inuyasha.”

“What? Why would I come with you? And what are you sorry about?” The girl tried to turn her gaze to her husband, who was promptly escorted away by Master Jaken with Inuyasha in tow. 

“…you can’t possibly be alright with this?!” The miko was hysteric. “Rin, listen to me carefully. You really believe I come from the future, right?” The girl nodded slightly. She did believe Kagome came from a far off land in the future, as outlandish as the idea may sound. “Then believe me when I tell you that there is no Sesshomaru in my time. Not an emperor, a shogun, or even a daimyo. There’s no empire or any mention of a Mikazuki clan. Modern day Japan is peaceful with no clan wars going on, it’s unified. Right now we’re in a city that will one day be known as Tokyo.” 

Rin tried, but she couldn’t exactly follow Kagome’s words. They were too fast and strange. “What do you mean? What are you trying to say…?”

“Inuyasha,” The women heard Sesshomaru speak loud and proper, as a Lord should. “Pledge fealty to me, and I will bestow upon you the title of Inu no Taisho. As my general, you will be granted high status within my court… as well as your miko wife.” Rin wasn’t expecting this at all. She thought he hated his half-brother. “This is the very title father held with his clan.”

Master Jaken beamed with feigned admiration. “What a most generous offer from Lord Sesshomaru! Such an honorable title for a mere hanyo to possess.”

Inuyasha did not look humored at his half-brother’s gesture of goodwill. “I’ll pass.” 

Sesshomaru looked as if he was about to burst in fury. 

It wasn’t just his pride that was struck at. It was something deeper, more personal. A fight was about to break out. Rin could feel it. 

Kagome hastily turned her attention back to the young Lady. “Rin, **please** try to talk some sense into Sesshomaru! This is a bad idea. Nothing good will come of this.” 

Rin was frozen in place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Sesshomaru ripped a guy’s head off in the manga (chapter 12.)


	6. Loyalty

Both brothers cut a wound so deep in the other it looked as if they would drop dead at their feet. Yet the fighting persisted. 

There was no way for Rin to tell just how long it was since the clash began. She appeared to be in shock. Violence was something she was very used to, but such things occurring between those she considered _family_? It was too much for her to bear. 

Kagome was valiant in the shots of her arrows. She never missed, but each strike was deliberately aimed at placements of Sesshomaru’s body that wouldn’t cause him harm. At his feet, his mokomoko, and the scales of his armor. Perhaps it was on purpose. Rin on the other hand was so helpless in it all. She wanted to call out to Sesshomaru, beg him to stop this bloodshed. It was all so unnecessary. But her words were all lost in her distress. Her skin was clammy and chilled, unable to make a move. 

“Had enough, you bastard?!” Inuyasha touted with a large gnash from his wrist to his elbow. Tatters of his fire-rat robe scattered about in the cool breeze. 

Sesshomaru then rushed at the hanyo with full intent, following up his thrust with a deep slice. A thump and a clang on the ground followed that slice. 

On the ground laid the tessaiga, entirely shrouded in Inuyasha’s blood. He then hunched over in searing pain. “The _bastard_ here is you.” Sesshomaru coldly forced out in a pant. He too suffered much blood loss, with a deep cleave inflicted onto his upper torso. 

“ **Inuyasha!!!** ” Kagome’s wails ringed in her ear. The miko attempted to rush to her injured husband, but a quick flick of Sesshomaru’s light whip at her toes prevented her from doing so. 

Sesshomaru looked as if he was the one who was deeply hurt, despite having the lesser injury. He towered over his brother in dismay. “You are nothing but a disgrace to this family. Always have been,” He began as he readied his bakusaiga centered to his brother’s body. “Know well that you deserve this. Suffer.” 

“ **Stop!!!** ” Kagome mourned once more. In that instant, Rin charged in front of Inuyasha just as Sesshomaru was about to strike him down in his moment of weakness. In her shaking hands grasped the poison dipped hairpin, pointing it directly in face of her husband. Her eyes were clenched shut. 

Silence filled the courtyard. A stark contrast to the clashes and clangs of battle roaring mere moments before. 

After but a moment, Rin felt brave enough to open her eyes. She was met with a hideously cold expression and flashing red eyes staring her down. Without a doubt Sesshomaru was angry. He was angry with her. 

“Rin…” Inuyasha huffed out, keeling over in pain. “Go with Kagome and run…” 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome rushed to her husband’s side as she was then able to. “You’re coming, too. Let’s go.” Lifting him up, she then turned her gaze to Rin’s, certainly suggesting she trail along. But she did not move. “Rin, come on!” 

The girl shook her head. Even suggesting such a thing was outlandish. 

“Please leave.” She didn’t mean for her words to come across as a threat. She simply wanted everyone to get to safety. Begrudgingly accepting her instruction, the miko aided her husband away from the castle grounds. 

Rin did not want to face Sesshomaru in that moment. She wanted all this to go away. 

Turning her gaze was not necessary. Emerging in her peripheral vision was a bright ball of light, of which dashed away into the sky. Certainly Sesshomaru did not want to look at her, either. 

When realizing the extent of what she had just done, dread poured over her like a black veil. All at once her emotions came rushing to her. She panted and heaved, droplets gathering in her eyes came rushing out like a dam breaking away. Lighting began to roar atop. The rain began to pour over her like tiny daggers piercing away at her skin. The air turned so cold her bones shivered in place. 

Rin barged into her room in sheer hysteria, paying no mind to the many nobility she passed along the way. She crashed into her futon and felt the weight of the world following her atop. Her breathing was erratic, wild. Tears poured down her scarlet-flushed face like little rivers. There was only one moment in her entire life where she felt so much agony. Never did she think she would feel this pained again, not since meeting her Lord Sesshomaru. 

But she did. And she felt it was all her fault. She knew well of her husband’s strained familial issues, and she always chose to keep herself out of such matters. It simply wasn’t her place. Yet, she could never stand to see such unneeded violence. The world was brimming with much of it already, she felt it was her duty to prevent even more of it from taking place. Which was why looking at Inuyasha so hurt, so bloodied, made her heart ache. There was no way she would have allowed Sesshomaru to continue such brutality. And now he was surely angered with her for her meddling. 

All she had in that room was silence. A painful, profound silence leaving only her senses about her. 

She still smelled like him, she noticed. Even she could tell with her very human nose and her very human senses. His scent was latched onto her despite soaking in a hot spring untouched by civilization. Sniffing a lock of her hair filled her nostrils with it. His essence. His sweat. His sex. 

She rubbed her face away into her futon, soaking up the fountain of the salty fluid she amassed. She intently wondered if that would be the very last time she saw Sesshomaru. Her beloved Lord. Her everything. 

Twilight cascaded over the castle in the hours that followed. 

Rin had awoken from her deep, misery induced slumber to the sound of the light skims of a sliding shoji screen. Even lighter padded footsteps followed. A thump. Turning her head just slightly so, she was met with the view of Sesshomaru, who knelt properly in the center of the room. He was still fully dressed in his armor. And he did not look angered anymore, at the very least in his composure. 

“Remove my armor.” He commanded in a stern, yet low voice. His gaze did not meet hers, yet somehow he was certain she was looking his way. 

She wasn’t quite sure if this was another wifely duty, though she obeyed nonetheless. Scurrying out of her futon, she quietly stepped to his side and knelt down, beginning to untie and remove the many plates of his gallant armor. One by one she neatly set each piece to the side, lining them up in the most appropriate fashion she could assume. She took notice that the wound Inuyasha had inflicted upon him earlier was nearly completely shut, despite only hours passing since. Surely Inuyasha must have already been nearly recovered as well, despite his half-human blood. At least there was no true harm enacted from that incident. 

Sesshomaru then grasped her wrist. Rin was halted in place. 

“I’m sorry.” He lamented as he kissed the palm of her hand and laid it rest on his cheek. She wasn’t expecting this reaction at all. She would have wailed had she already not been filled to the brim in disorientation. When his eyes met hers, all she could see were his glassy golden orbs display the most sorrowful expression she had ever seen of him. Seeing him in such a state ached her heart immensely. “You should not ever cry in my care. Your pain is all at the fault of mine.” 

She felt a river of tears attempting to break through the imaginary barricade she worked so hard to build. “I should have never drawn that hairpin on you.”

“You should have.” He was firm in his breath. “Your compassion is limitless. It’s what drew me to you in the first place. I was a fool to not think you would have drawn even my blood at the expense of that hanyo.” He still could not say his name. 

She thought with great intent at one particular object she still had on her person, tucked neatly away within her obi. Digging it out, she then tossed the hairpin on the tatami mat in front of her husband’s presence. “Destroy it.” 

Sesshomaru raised a brow at her bizarre request. “You should keep it on you, for your peace of mind.” 

“All this damned thing gives me is anxiety.” The girl begged in her protest. “Please.” 

Granting her request, Sesshomaru raised his hand slightly and emitted from it a bright green ball of fire. Pointing directly at the hairpin, in its entirely the silver object was engulfed within the flame. It took mere minutes for the pin to completely disappear. Despite being such a dangerous object, she was still saddened a treasured gift of Totosai’s had been destroyed on her orders. Rin was about to cry once more, despite Sesshomaru going to great lengths expressing his promise of preventing it. 

It was then he pulled her lithe body in for a strong embrace. 

For just a moment, time was nonexistent. The world was quiet. Her body was weightless. He held her so tightly she felt he must have been attempting to mold their bodies together through some strange yokai magic. 

He began to speak with such dignified breath. “My samurai are rallying their ashigaru tonight. We take the Nisshoku at the border of the western lands at dawn.” 

“…you’re leaving tonight?” She let out in a whimper. It was so sudden. 

“There will be no guarantee when I return.” He would not lie to her. Certainly he was expecting many hard fought battles ahead by providing her with such a non-answer. “But know that I will write to you when I am able.” Despite such an unexpectedly kind gesture, this did not ease Rin’s tension one bit. 

“Will you lay with me until I fall asleep?” It was a bargaining chip spurned into her mind in the moment. Breaking apart their embrace, he looked into her eyes and nodded at her innocent request. Possibly, she thought, if she stayed up all night, he would stay with her. She was determined to stay awake so she could remain by Sesshomaru for as long as possible. 

Taking his hands in her own, she escorted him into the futon, where she then rolled herself in his arms. His mokomoko curled around her body, providing her with utmost comfort. The softness of his fur grazing her cooled skin felt heavenly. Pressing her head onto his chest, she was allowed to hear his heartbeat. How terrified she was in thinking she would never hear it again. The thumps of his heart soothed her soul in such a way she could never begin to describe. After sobbing so much, feeling the comfort her Lord brought to her put her under a daze. She was at peace. 

_There is no Sesshomaru in my time._

Rin’s brief moment of alleviation was halted to a full stop. Those were the exact words Kagome said to her earlier, before the fight broke out. 

That couldn’t possibly be true, she brooded over in her mind. And even if by some cruel twist of fate it was, she will forever remain loyal to her Lord. That much was certain. 

The night came and went. As did the weeks. 

When Rin awoke that morning, her husband was gone. As was his armor and his swords. The castle since that day felt so empty without so many samurai crowding the halls. 

At some point after his altercation with his half-brother, Sesshomaru must have gathered a meeting with his uncle, Sayamaru. Because after that night, Sayamaru was from then on known as the Mikazuki’s Inu no Taisho. Sayamaru did not strike her as the fighting type, though he must have been more than capable for Sesshomaru to request such a thing of him. Surely the offer provided many perks for him, one of which was thankfully being away from his new bride, Kirako. Rin wouldn’t assume such a thing herself, it was simply mentioned as an offhand joke in one of her husband’s letters. 

Just as he promised, he sent her many letters over the course of these past several weeks. Rin never before imagined him to be so talkative with written words, and bore no shame of it at that. If only he spoke as much as he wrote. Perhaps it was a more comfortable means for him communicating. 

He made sure to tell her of his most valiant kills in battle, as well as some of his mistakes he admitted to making, in which he swore to learn from. There was also a mix of praise and complaints of several samurai in his rank, Rin made sure to remember each one, as to get a clear picture in her mind of whom she should be focusing more of her attention to once she had the pleasure of greeting his best samurai. And there was no shortage of his pining for his dearest Rin, which was to be expected. So much of his letter took up his desire, his yearning for the girl. Sometimes he even described in great detail the things he wished to do to her, such descriptions always painted her face red. 

The day was bright and the air was crisp. Autumn had fully overtook the lands, with it cascading the garden in colors of red and gold. Rin sat in the wing of the castle various nobles used for calligraphy and addressing letters. Perched at her table, she thought deeply of what to say to her husband this time. In his last letter she received, he described how much he desired to try her specialty mooncakes with yuzu jelly, despite not having a taste for human food, he would make an exception. 

Little footsteps could be hared approaching the empty room Rin took residence in, followed by that of many tinks and bells of extravagant hair decorations and fine jewelry. 

“I need to be by myself right now.” Rin didn’t need to turn her gaze to know it was Kirako whom had just entered the room. She didn’t mean to sound rude, but she really did need to concentrate on what she was doing. There were only so many characters she could fit in a single page, she needed to find the right arrangement of words. In solitude, preferably. 

“Aren’t you in heat? I thought you would need my protection.” The inuyokai innocently assured. 

“I-I don’t go into heat…” Conversations like these still flustered Rin to a great extent. 

“Hmm…” Kirako did not heed her request. Instead, she plopped down on the tatami floor next to Rin. She wasn’t getting her much desired solitude. “You were a peasant girl, were you not? How did you learn to read and write?” Kirako teased in a harsh tone. 

“Master Jaken taught me.” In all its simplicity, it was an honest answer. After being brought back to life as a child, the girl still could not speak right away. And not being able to communicate properly got to a point where it seemed to have irked on her Lord and his servants’ nerves. That was when her Lord ordered the imp to teach her to read and write, so that she may simply write down whatever she wanted to tell them when she felt it was important. It seemed like a wasted effort when in no time she began speaking, but after the fact Master Jaken still persisted he continue teaching her, telling her to ‘ _Finish the job now that it’s started!_ ’ After all her grumbling about it as a child, she was now ever so grateful he pushed her through his teachings. 

She preferred to keep those cherished memories to herself. 

“What are you doing in here, Kirako?” 

“I’m writing a novel!” She huffed with pride. “About the most handsome and honorable ronin who ever lived…”

To an extent, she did feel bad for Kirako, despite her childish displays of dominance over her at times. She had a husband who had no interest in being with her, and she had no friends or family within the castle she could confide in. Rin would be more than willing to befriend the little inuyokai, but Kirako never once accepted her gestures of goodwill. She seemed more determined in making her life as miserable as possible. 

When taking one of the brushes laid out on Rin’s desk, she purposefully tipped over a bottle of ink with her trailing mokomoko, entirely staining the page she started writing her letter on. “Oops.” The Hangetsu princess cooed. 

It was fine. She was going to scrap that page, anyway. In Rin’s mind, she finally felt she found the right words for her Lord. Ripping a new sheet of paper off the roll, she began to write. 

_My dearest  
It was lonely this evening once more  
Your presence is deeply missed  
How does the sky look from down there?  
Every night I gaze downward searching for you  
Much of the day Kirako hissed  
Lady Mother pried the rest of it  
My moon blood returned once more  
Why must the gods of heaven and earth torture me so?  
Give me a child already!_

That last bit was compulsory. It has been some time already since she was wed, and still there was no sign of conceiving. After a while, the idea of mothering a child became Rin’s whole world. She had since daydreamed of having a little one she could have all to herself, and teach them all the things she wished she knew growing up. But the damned moon blood was persistent. 

Once the ink dried, she rolled up her letter and sealed it for sending. Just as she was leaving the wing, she then caught eye of none other than Master Jaken, who was waddling out of the ink storage in secrecy. What could Master Jaken possibly be doing in this wing? He held no ink in his tiny hands, but a rolled up letter already sealed. Was he addressing a letter to someone? He seemed to clench the document tightly to his chest as if it held utmost importance to him. Rin thought she might pry. 

“Master Jaken!” Rin must have startled him greatly, as little imp jumped up with a look resembling dread. 

“M-My Lady! What a surprise!” Nervous laughter masked the imp’s rebuttal. 

“The surprise here is you being in these quarters. Who is that letter for?” She innocently inquired. 

“I-It’s no concern of yours, my Lady…” Rin tried to peek at the scroll to see who it was addressed to, but Master Jaken persistently wiggled his body in the opposite of all her advances. 

“If I’m annoying you, simply tell me so.” 

“How absurd! The Lady of the castle would not once annoy me,” He waved in apprehension. 

“No!” Rin stomped her foot. “I know you hate that you’re being forced to be nice to me, you can’t fool me.” He was getting on her nerves for weeks, and now it was troubling her greatly. Maybe it was a moon blood. “I love you Master Jaken, because you always tell me how things really are. You give me perspective on my actions. So stop being so nice to me all the time and just tell me how you really feel!” 

“Fine!” Master Jaken was now fired up, ready to begin his rant. “Lord Sesshomaru was _beyond_ foolish marrying you! Insolent child! If he was at all smart about establishing his empire, he would have better married a wealthy and dignified **inuyokai** Lady! The thought of a daiyokai such as him self wed a human commoner is just plain crass, it’s as if he wants to send the opposing courts a message.” She wasn’t expecting that. Those emotions he kept bottled up the last few weeks must have burdened him greatly. And it was all completely fair, she thought. She knew well she wasn’t worthy of being Lord Sesshomaru’s wife. 

“None of that is my fault.” Sesshomaru still loved her, she thought. She was sure of it. Even if she was a social crush for him, clearly it hardly mattered to him if he was willing to go this far for her sake. The theory of using her as a message is laughable at best.

“You’re just a human, of course it’s no fault of your own…there’s no way you’re able to consent to such a union.” Somehow, he seemed less angry in that moment. Is that the way he sees it? That there is no way a human could consent to a yokai’s advances? “And it would bring me great pain to see him cause you harm…”

She thought briefly on why such a thing would pain Master Jaken. Then at the absurdity of his later implication. “Why would he cause me harm?” 

“Not intentionally…” He seemed to be deeply troubled in his thoughts. “You haven’t seen what yokai men do to human women, the ones they don’t simply eat…” He then abruptly shook his head and waved his hands in a panic. “Ah, such things should not meet the ears of a Lady.” It appeared his act of loyal Chief Minister was back in play. He then bowed to his Lady and took an abrupt leave.

Watching the funny green imp scurrying down the halls with his mysterious letter in hand, Rin was left to her own thoughts. 

_Sesshomaru would **never** hurt me. _


	7. Campaign

Two months had passed. Two very long months without Sesshomaru’s presence filling the castle with his warmth. Another month of it Rin felt she might lose her mind. She was so lonely, emotionally and physically. It wasn’t the attention of others she needed, only that of her husband’s. And to make it all worse, his letters were getting scarce. Though it was to be expected, with so many battles currently waging on the ground, her needs were nowhere near as important at the moment. 

She had of course welcomed so much free time at first, as she had been taking shamisen lessons, and quickly became quite good at the instrument. Filling the empty halls with her song made the atmosphere a bit more livable. Lady Mother became quite impressed with the girl herself, which was in fact high praise not to be taken lightly. Often she would invite herself within Rin’s quarters to simply listen to her practice. It was of course no different this day.

“My, this weather is no good on my bones.” The eternally beautiful inuyokai Lady murmured as she bundled up in her fancy junihitoe, still watching Rin with much intrigue. The girl continued practicing on the shamisen gifted to her by the miko Kaede, entirely fixated on each flick of string. 

The women sat comfortably around a full kaiseki course of seasonal vegetables, of which undoubtedly was requested by the Lady Mother. Rin’s music complimented the rich ambiance of the room masterfully. 

“ _O red flower of the mountain,  
Flow down the stream  
Daughter, come home  
Bring her unto me_”

“Yes, you have such a lovely voice, now come eat before this gets cold.” The older woman practically hissed in her rising impatience. 

“Yes, Lady Mother.” Rin quietly obeyed as she set her shamisen down to her side and knelt at the table. 

“You don’t have to sound so gloomy you know, I’m terribly worried for my dear son as well, and you don’t see me moping about.” Was she truly? Her tone surely wasn’t convincing. “Ah, my little Sesshomaru was the sweetest thing as a child. He would not once leave my arms, you know.” She sighed in such fondness. That fondness then quickly turned into a fussed pout. “He’s grown to be so spiteful and brash. It surely wasn’t any influence of mine.” Surely. 

“Do you have any clue as to when Sesshomaru will return?” The young girl questioned as she dipped a fried carrot in soy sauce. “I’ve missed him greatly…” It was a momentous understatement. 

“Not a clue, though hopefully soon.” The inuyokai frowned while chewing on a pickled daikon. “The scent of your arousal stinking up the place is getting nauseating.” In that moment Rin nearly choked on the carrot she was munching on. “Oh, goodness, are you alright, pup?” She asked unenthusiastically, as if nothing she had just said was any cause for social alarm. 

“Y-You can smell that?” Right away she realized she didn’t need to ask that question. She was already well aware of the answer, instantly thinking back to the moment when her husband admitted he could scent her months ago. One would only assume it was a trait _all_ inuyokai possessed, mates or not. 

“Naturally, pup. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” The older woman picked at her meal in boredom. “You know, your secret will be kept with me if you take on a lover.” 

“I couldn’t possibly do that.”

“Hmph, suit yourself.” The Lady scoffed. “I, on the other hand, have been having some fun…”

“You mean…?!” Rin became enthusiastic all of a sudden. It was then the older woman pulled out a letter from under her inner layer of kosode. 

“Oh, he’s so old fashioned, I love it.” The Lady Mother seemed deeply enamored with her lover’s written words. It must be an intensely passionate fling. 

“I’m very happy for you!”

“Hm, yes. Little yokai can be quite the pleaser underneath the sheets…”

“Wait. Did you say ‘ _little yokai_ ’?” Rin questioned with anticipated shock. There was only one person in the castle she called by that name. Oh. “ **You mean Master Jak-** ”

“Hush! I will not have rumors spread about my own walls in my name.”

She simply couldn’t believe it. Never did the thought even cross her mind, that Master Jaken would be interested in the Lady Mother in such a way. Or even the other way around should have been more of an outlandish thought.

_What would Sesshomaru think?_

Lady Mother was right, best that there would be no whispers within the walls. 

Rin lowered her head back to the display of vegetables laid out on the table. She should be happy for the Lady Mother, as well as Master Jaken. But it was difficult when she felt such an immense void within her. 

The Lady mother sighed deeply at the pitiful girl’s melancholy. She then picked a single, whole cucumber out of the decorative display of vegetables, toying with it between her fingers. “You know, whenever I felt especially needy for Toga while he was away at war, I would simply pleasure myself with a cucumber,” Rin fell pale at the inuyokai’s crude tongue. “Then once I was finished, I would wrap it up nicely in a box, like a gift, and have it sent away to him. The scent drove him mad each time, so when he would return…” A light brush of color painted on the inuyokai’s cheeks. “Ah, it’s as if nothing else in the world mattered to him.” 

Rin needed to take a moment to reassess her mother-in-law’s story in her mind. 

“You…think I should really do such a thing…?” Rin’s cheeks flushed hot and red. Just the idea was so vulgar, and not to mention outlandish. 

“Pup, you can do whatever you want.” Lady Mother coyly cooed as she took her leave, shortly after leaving the single cucumber on Rin’s plate. 

It was ludicrous. 

Although. 

Even beginning to describe just how aroused she was the entire time her husband was gone would be a momentous endeavor. She was damned horny. She even caught herself in a most undignified position the night prior, when she began to straddle a cushion she sat on while reading excerpts of Kirako’s novel. Could such a menial object truly satiate her needs just as well as Sesshomaru had? 

There was only one way to find out. And even if it hadn’t, at least it would serve another purpose. Hopefully the Lady Mother wasn’t jesting with her, though she didn’t see any reason why she would be. 

All shoji were shut tightly. No attendants lingered in or next to her room. She was alone. Taking one deep breath, she relaxed on the tatami and began undoing the hakama under her junihitoe. Once disrobed from her nethers, all that laid over her frame was a single silk kosode. Stroking her fingers along the soft hairs shrouding her intimates, she exhaled deeply. 

Firmly grasping the vegetable in her hand, she stroked it along her moistened folds. The sensation of the cucumber against her most sensitive skin made her shriek. But she kept going. Gliding up and down, she was beginning to ache in pleasure.

A clear picture of Sesshomaru flashed in her mind. She thought of him fully dressed, yet he held such a tender expression on his face. And he was smiling. Just the thought of him sent her body shivers. How protected and cared for she felt when he was with her. Suddenly she was murmuring things she had no conscience of understanding. 

Her folds were dripping at that point. And she needed so much more stimulation. In one thrust, she slid the entire cucumber inside her walls. 

“Aaah!” 

It felt nothing at all like Sesshomaru’s, but it was hard yet still harbored a softness to its skin. It was just enough to set Rin off into a far away place. 

Stroking her hardened nipple with her free hand, she continued riding the cucumber vigorously. She wailed and cried softly as her insides trembled with stimulation. Her heart fluttered and her toes curled. Her belly quivered. Her cunt throbbed. She shrieked one last time at the height of her bliss. 

Rin panted and heaved whilst groveling on the tatami. Never before had she done anything like that, and it was… _invigorating_. 

Gathering herself back to composure, she noted the vegetable was doused in her stench. Even a human like her could easily smell it. She wondered if sealing it in a box would really mask the strong scent emitting from the object, the thought of being found out from anyone other than her husband was too embarrassing for her to bear. 

Yet still, she did exactly as the Lady Mother had told her. She wrapped it up neatly and sealed it in a nicely carved box, then had it sent away for Sesshomaru’s eyes only. 

That night was cool, but not unbearably so. Rin once again practiced with her shamisen on her engawa overlooking her personal zen garden. Each candle in the garden was set alight, looking like stars underneath the sky painted black and blue. Such scenery would be considered breathtaking to any mortal, and possibly ordinary to any immortal. The girl wondered briefly to herself if this was going to be her life from then on. Waiting for Sesshomaru’s return. Waiting, instead of following. Beautiful sceneries were far from an adequate compensation. 

While gazing into the night sky, Rin caught glimpse of an odd sight. Two strange oni, one red and the other blue, carrying a gorgeously ornate palanquin. With much haste, the oni glided down into the garden. Atop the palanquin was a short and stout yokai resembling that of a tanuki. He looked like a shinobi, dressed from heel to face in black. 

“Lady Rin,” The tanuki formally approached the young girl. “Lord Sesshomaru has requested your presence.” Was that true? She only sent away for his _gift_ mere hours ago. Unless Lady Mother was really telling the truth, and such an act drove inuyokai men mad with lust. Rin’s cheeks flushed red at that sudden realization. 

“Wait.” She needed to make certain before she foolishly accompanied strangers without question. “I need proof.” 

“Certainly, my Lady,” The tanuki promptly released a scroll from his inner haori and relinquished it to the girl. _Escort Lady Rin with utmost care to Mikazuki’s encampment_. It was his writing, there was no doubt. Just before she was to allow herself aid in entering the carriage, she stopped. 

“Ah, please give me just a moment!” The girl informally bowed to the yokai and rushed back into her bed quarters, surely painting their faces a deep expression of bewilderment. 

Rin did not wish to pass up on such an opportunity. If she was to finally see Sesshomaru after so long, she was going to look positively irresistible to him. Rummaging through one of her storing chests, she dragged out a glass compact with red makeup and a fine brush. Setting herself up to her dressing table, she licked the horsehair brush and then dipped it into the red makeup. With the brush stained red, she first painted her lips with the striking color, followed by her cheeks. Once she was finished, she then gussied up her hair and combed a scented oil through it. 

Dressed to her liking, Rin then presented herself to the yokai and proceeded to be escorted into the palanquin. Although a bit on the small side, the inside was otherworldly in its refinement. Jewels scattered all about the ceiling, likening that of the starry sky. The cushions were violet and laced in gold leaf, and had a softness like feathers, dared would she say it was as soft as Sesshomaru’s mokomoko. 

Rin’s brief sense of luxury was tossed away as soon as the oni took flight. Feeling as though her heart stopped, she held her breath at the shaking and rickets the carriage made in the strong wind. The girl held onto the sides of the armrests for dear life. 

After several long minutes of turbulent flying, all movement came to a short stop. Rin peeked out the grated window to get a bearing on her surroundings. Candlewicks and tents lined up as far as they eye could see, she was indeed on the ground. Hearing several locks and chains being undone, the oni opened the palanquin and escorted the Lady out and onto her feet. Gussying herself back up to a formal standard, she was once again greeted by the tanuki. 

“Lord Sesshomaru is having his meal with the samurai in his tent, it is right that way.” The short yokai deeply bowed to the Lady before hopping back on the palanquin and tapped away at it with his foot, prompting the oni to glide back into the sky. 

When turning her gaze, she quickly came to a most heinous realization. The atmosphere was nothing at all like she had imagined of an encampment in the midst of war. Solders were laughing, drinking, fighting, gambling, and…whoring. All activities of which exuded at highest volume. It seemed as if the war itself was already won and all that was left was celebration. 

Rin did not at all look like she belonged in such atmosphere. Her elegance and grace stuck out amongst the near grotesque behavior the men. 

“My Laaaadyyy~!” A samurai sloppily wobbled over to the girl and appeared to have given his best attempt at a bow in his current state. Wrapped in his arms was a sultry prostitute with one breast entirely slipped from her loosely-tied kosode, whom seemed to have paid no mind at all to her current state. Rin didn’t want to be rude, she acknowledged the drunken man’s gesture of reverence regardless. 

One man vomited at his feet while another stabbed himself while playing a game of five fingers. She was feeling completely out of place. _Just hurry and find Sesshomaru_ , she thought to herself. 

Eventually Rin came across a very long tent centered within the encampment. Waiting outside were two ashigaru standing guard. That must be where Sesshomaru was having his meal. Rin took a deep breath and approached the two men, whom promptly bowed and allowed her passage. Acknowledging their respect, she proceeded. 

Immediately upon entering the tent Rin was overwhelmed with the virile stench of sake. Her ears were also overburdened, with the loud beating of drums and the voices of men who laughed and hollered at the tops of their lungs. Moving aside a cloth banner at the entrance, she was met with the sight of an arrangement of samurai lounging about their half-eaten dinners, each heavily invested in their own menial activities. About half the samurai each had a beautiful oiran wrapped around their bodies, some fully clothed and some barely at all. A few other men laughed at vulgar stories they exchanged, while others argued over the authenticity of such stories.

At the back and in the center of the arrangement was Sesshomaru. He was the only soul in the room who sat proper at his table. He was sipping a cup of sake, eyes drawn directly on his Lady wife whom had just entered the tent. She smiled at his notice and gracefully trekked toward his side. It’s been so long since she last saw him, that his presence somehow looked sweeter to her, she thought. 

Though, something was indeed off about him. His cheeks blushed a light rose. And he bore a strong stench of sake. He must have had quite a lot to drink for him to fall in such a state. Tiptoeing closer to formally greet her husband, she then gasped at such a movement pulling her down to his level. Sesshomaru dragged her in for a tight embrace, sniffing her hair as her body draped over his large frame. Her thighs straddled over his crossed legs as she caught glimpse of a wide smirk plastered across his face flushed pink. 

“You’re a dirty girl.” He sensually huffed into her ear, working his free hand around the soft under of her backside. Clearly the cucumber did the trick. It was almost as if he was under a spell. “You couldn’t wait for me, could you?” 

Rin’s heart stopped. Such behavior was so unlike him, and they were surrounded by people no less. Pushing away at his shoulders with her hands, she anxiously pleaded with him in a soft but firm whisper. “There’s people here!” 

That devilish grin never parted from his lips. Grasping a bundle of her hair gathered to her neck, he gestured her head to face the samurai. 

“And not a single eye on us.” He heaved into her ear. Once her attention was focused, she knew of what he meant. Each samurai was intently focused in their own devices. Faces red and bellies filled with sake, some gambled, others violently touted one another, while the rest whored with fine oiran. Not a single soul in the tent was even able to focus on their Lord or his Lady. Turning his face back to his Lady wife, he then left a trail of wet pecks along the underside of her jawline. Despite his crude nature, she could not deny the spikes of little pleasures he was inflicting upon her. 

He stroked her backside with one hand and fondled her bosom with the other. She did not allow him to go any further. 

“I want privacy.” She demanded, placing her hand directly over his crescent moon. 

Sesshomaru grinned at her unyielding request. Rin then let out a loud gasp as he lifted her off her feet entirely and carried her away into a closed off area behind the front of the tent. Flipping past the curtain revealed a fine setup of a desk, a futon, and display racks for armor and weapons to be hanged. This was Sesshomaru’s private quarters. 

He then threw her onto the futon.

“You’re treating me no different than those men do their courtesans.”

“Your actions could have fooled me.” Removing his armor piece by piece, his eyes remained focused on the young girl in front of him. Like a starved beast stalking prey. “You will be disciplined.” Just who would be the one doing the disciplining? 

She wondered if even she could bring Lord Sesshomaru to his knees. “Wait.” She halted him right in his place as he was about to ravage the girl of all her dressings. 

He watched as she began unwrapping herself, slowly, like a gift to be presented to him. Tossing layer by layer of fine silk away at her feet, the young body laid entirely bare before him. Spreading her legs wide open, she displayed the starved beast her most guarded quarters. 

“Eat.” She commanded with poise. 

With eyes gleaming in furious intent, Sesshomaru knelt in her presence and grasped the under of her thighs, licking away at her sweetness. 

“ **Aaahh!!** ” Rin gasped at her highest volume. 

His licks were enveloped against the lips and folds of her cunt. The sharp sensations of which sent Rin wailing in frenzy. He even trailed his long tongue inside her opening. She yelped again at this feeling of pure ecstasy. Sesshomaru continued until she was completely soaked. 

“You may bite me if it pleases you.” The girl moaned in a sultry daze. 

“Is that what you want?” She nodded at his question. It was the signal the man needed to go on unrestrained. He smirked. 

With absolute force against her, he flipped her body, setting her on all fours. Grasping her inner thighs tightly, he brought her hips up to his groin. Breathing deeply, squeezing at her soft skin, so much so it felt as if his claws were just short of puncturing her, drawing blood. Rin winced at such desperate and barbaric behavior. She felt helpless in such a position. Without facing her husband, she could not see the expressions he harbored for her. All she was left to was his sounds and her imagination. 

At one forceful thrust, he shoved his cock deep within her walls. He rutted her from behind with such vulgarity, thrusting his hips into her with so much force her breasts freely slapped about against her bare skin. Sesshomaru’s behavior was animalistic. And Rin was loving every bit of it. Her yells told him as much. 

“Faster!” Rin winced out in lustful agony as Sesshomaru squeezed at her soft rump. Doing just as she commanded, she then heard a familiar sound emitting from deep within his chest. He growled in pleasure, further digging his sharp claws into her soft skin. Rin was under such a spell of bliss she couldn’t tell if he drew blood. In that moment, she didn’t care. She craved more. “Bite me.”

He did not bite her, but instead grasped her neck and brought her ear to his lips. “If you keep acting like a whore, I’ll have to treat you like one.” He growled. 

Rin cried in her lustful state, near paralyzed at her husband’s disposition. Harder and faster he thrust, until both bodies enclosed within the tent gasped in a dull whimper. Shivering and twitching about, Rin fell from her elbows and her knees onto the futon, with the large and heavy man following atop. He wrapped his arms around her chest and squeezed tightly, bracing her for the expected several minutes of uncomfort. 

The minutes passed, and the room seemed to have stopped spinning for once. Nudging her nose against the strong arm she was enveloped within, Rin smiled and exhaled low. 

“So, what’s with all the theatrics?” The girl asked. “Rich sake. Rich food. Rich women.” Sesshomaru gave a slight chuckle at her inquiry. 

“The Nisshoku were caught entirely off guard. After our last battle, they’ve been running aimlessly with their tails between their legs.” No wonder he was in such a good mood. The war was practically over at this point. Now it was all a game. “The men have been having some fun, at the expense of Hangetsu’s pockets.” 

“Hm, these few months must have been exhilarating, then.” At least he was having fun, she thought. Turning her head down to the under of her arm, she sighed. “I need a wash if I am to face your men in the morning.” 

Sesshomaru nestled his nose in her hair and took a deep whiff. “Not too bad.”

“Not bad? I smell like your sex!”

“Is that such a bad thing?” He teased. She didn’t seem amused. “If you simply allowed it, it would only take me a minute at most to clean you.”

Thinking on it, it really wasn’t such an outlandish idea. Such a thing seemed to have been completely normal to inuyokai, just as washing oneself with water was to a human. If she was ever to get used to the customs and natal behaviors of her husband’s culture, she needed to swallow the little pride she had and simply allowed such things to happen, she thought. 

“…you may clean me, then.” She wallowed with little fuss. Sesshomaru raised a brow at the sudden change. Asking her if she was certain, she nodded with full assurance. 

As soon as the swelling went down, Sesshomaru broke apart their bonding and then gestured Rin to lay comfortably on her back. Starting with her top half, he lifted her arms and licked away at her pits. Then the under of her breasts, which jolted the girl’s spine just a bit. Next he trailed saliva at the folds of her groin, as well as her inner thighs. Shocking the girl once more, he licked away at her intimates, even taking up a portion of his own seed which spilled out of her. Each fold he thoroughly glazed over, though this time the sensation wasn’t intended to inflict pleasure, but to simply wash away the stench she emitted. Lastly, he worked his way down from her legs to her feet and toes, prompting a little giggle at the ticklish sensations. 

Rin couldn’t believe it, but she did feel clean. Though just slightly embarrassed, she quickly shrouded herself under one of her silk kosode. Sesshomaru paid her no mind, lifting his own arm and licking at his under armpit. The flushed girl simply surveyed the completely natural practice in awe. At some point, she fell in a comfortable sleep during her observance. 

Once the morning sun broke apart the mountain’s mist, Rin rose from her slumber. Sesshomaru was not at her side, although it wasn’t of any concern to Rin. He was without a doubt still somewhere within the encampment. So the girl thought she might explore just a bit. She also needed to look for food, she was damned hungry. 

Wrapping herself back up under many layers of kosode, she left Sesshomaru’s tent and ventured out into the center of the encampment. 

Certainly their romp in the tent didn’t go without notice to the samurai within the encampment. Even though Sesshomaru assured her he thoroughly cleaned every bit of her skin, the screams she let escape last night without a doubt alerted the samurai’s ears. The things they must have thought of her, she briefly feared. 

A most delicious smell of rice porridge filled her nostrils. Following the scent, she found herself at a large cauldron over a fire pit surrounded by a small group of samurai, who laughed and conversed amongst themselves. Gazes turning her way, each one arose from their lounging. 

“Lady Rin!” The samurai all bowed with immense respect. 

One of the strange yokai was familiar to her. It was Royakan, that large beast-like yokai who guarded the forest. He most enthusiastically greeted Rin, accommodating her as a servant would. “Please, sit here! Allow me to get you something to eat.” Rice porridge wasn’t exactly considered fine food for nobility, but it was for samurai. And it was more than fine enough for Rin’s tastes. There was once a time when she never dreamed of filling her belly to content with rice. 

Grasping the hot bowl of porridge in her cold hands, the girl thanked Royakan and the other yokai in their service. “Have you all been faring well in your battles?”

“Well indeed!” Each of the men then boasted their valiant kills during their conquest of the western lands. Each sounded rather impressive, the most of which was Royakan, whom claimed he had flattened an entire battalion in one sweep in a fit of rage. 

“If it isn’t the girl-pup.” All heads seated around the fire turned to the brash sounding voice, which belonged to none other than Mikazuki’s Inu no Taisho, Sayamaru. And he wasn’t alone, at his side was Sesshomaru. All samurai once again stood and bowed profoundly. Rin had no obligation to leave her comfortable post. “Sesshomaru, you really brought her here? I thought you were joking.” 

Paying his uncle no mind, Sesshomaru greeted Rin with a calm and fulfilled face. His elevated mood was undoubtedly all at the fault of her own, she grinned to herself. 

Sayamaru helped himself to a bowl of rice porridge and planted himself down at level with the samurai, butting in their conversation. Rin took one last sip of her breakfast and allowed her husband to escort her around the encampment grounds. With as much enthusiasm as his natural stoic demeanor would allow, Sesshomaru told Rin of the many workings and operations at each station. 

“Our campaign is at most over with. All that’s left is renegotiating with the Hangetsu clan over which territories the clans will retain.”

“I see.” Rin followed Sesshomaru’s instructing intently. She always paid close mind when he felt passionate enough to explain anything to her, it was the same as when she was a child. 

After explaining the current state of affairs, he smiled gently to his Lady wife. “Come and sit at my side, we’re to have an official head-viewing ceremony today.” 

“Head-viewing?” She innocently inquired. 

Rin fell furiously ill at the sight she was presented with later that morning. 

Seated next to her husband at a formal arrangement, all Rin had to shield her disgust was a floral scented fan to hide her face behind. Lay right in front of them was a severed head, neatly perched on a plaque above a name written in black ink. Being no expert in such things, Rin could easily tell the head was not of the recently deceased. The face was white with patches of gray strewn about the wrinkles and folds of skin. The eyes were open wide, yet the sockets were sunken deep purple and black. The sight was feverishly grotesque. 

“My Lord, I present to you Esagana of Nisshoku’s third rank.” The lowly ashigaru proudly boasted his offering. 

“Third, you say?” Sesshomaru interrogated the man, who bowed and answered with much enthusiasm. “The wounds at your elbows and wrists imply it was indeed a hard-fought and honorable battle. You will be promoted to samurai and employed within my ranks, starting at the lowest.” Their Lord proclaimed. 

The soldier of humble means looked as if he was about to wail at Sesshomaru’s feet. “T-Thank you very much, my Lord!!” The newly-appointed samurai was then escorted away, with his presented head being collected and received with the many others of which had already been displayed. 

Rin’s breakfast of rice porridge curdled in her belly. 

Another ashigaru, looking far more destitute than the last, wobbled his way up to the post and placed his offering carefully in its center. Lifting the dirty cloth revealed a fresher looking head, of which had thick silver hair and had royal blue jagged stripes settled underneath his golden eyes. 

“I am Koza.” The man began. He was a rather odd looking yokai, resembling that of a swallow. “I-I present to you Nisshoku no Tairo, m-my Lord.” The soldier stuttered in his speech. 

A few airy gasps could be heard amongst the many samurai. 

“Nisshoku no Tairo? That’s a big shot.” Sayamaru sounded impressed, through his tone implying it was feigned. 

Rin wasn’t quite sure what exactly was going on, but surely the man’s kill must have been impressive. Turning her gaze to her husband, she saw him smiling. Her heart then sunk to the lows of her sick stomach. He did not smile at others with kindness like he did with her. 

“Do you take me for a fool?” Sesshomaru asked with sovereignty. 

After letting out a tired sigh, Sayamaru leisurely made his way to the severed head. He then licked his fingertips and stroked the marking on the head’s cheek. The deep blue mark began to smudge. “Rather cheap looking paint, don’t you think?”

The tension in the air became so heavy Rin felt she would be crushed beneath it. The samurai observing the ceremony must have felt the same. 

Groveling to his feet, the soldier then cried and begged. “P-Please forgive me, m’Lord!!” Tears flowed down his dirty cheeks like tiny rivers. “My family is destitute, we have nothing! I need means to feed them.” 

“It’s one thing to try and fool me, it’s another to sully one’s own honor in the process. You hadn’t even killed this warrior in battle. You simply cut the head of any dead man you came across on the field.” The ashigaru did not deny his Lord’s claims. By all accounts they must have been true. “Because I am a generous Lord, you may restore your honor by committing seppuku at my presence.” 

The lowly soldier wailed at his Lord’s orders. Rin would have too, had she not been frozen from the shock of it all. “P-Please m’Lord!! I cannot possibly do such a thing! Have mercy!”

“Have it your way.” Sesshomaru did not heed the man’s request. Looking to Sayamaru, he gave his order without saying a word. The general readied his blade and faced it to the woeful man’s neck. 

In that instant, Rin leapt in front of the impoverished ashigaru, arms spread open, guarding him from the strike. Sayamaru’s blade halted a mere hair from Rin’s face. 

“I won’t allow you to kill him!” The Lady shielded the poor man with compassion unfiltered. “You will have to cut me down first.” 

The crowd fell silent for a long moment. Then sneers and snickers emitted about the men. “ _This is why women don’t belong on the battlefield._ ” The samurai whispered and cackled amongst themselves. Nothing of this situation was amusing, Rin thought. 

Turning her gaze to Sesshomaru’s proved as much. He was not as amused as the men were. In fact he seemed furious behind his expressionless exterior. The situation wasn’t any different from when she protected Inuyasha all things considered, and she thought such conundrums were behind the couple. Behind as in, Sesshomaru would cease such harsh activities, at least at her presence. 

“Thank your Lady properly and leave my sight at once.” He clearly spoke to the groveling soldier, but he never once broke eye contact with his Lady wife. 

The soldier fumbled from his sorrowful state and bowed as deeply as anyone could. “T-Thank you, my Lady!! I will never forget such grace!” The man’s gratefulness was genuine. Quite literally his life was rest in her hands. The now unemployed man flew away from the encampment with haste. 

The samurai read the tension in the air and broke apart their assembly. Without a word Rin left the gathering to a far end of the encampment to clear her mind. She was followed the entire time by her husband, begrudgingly. She didn’t want to face him then, but she had no choice once he grasped her arm and pulled her body back to him. 

“ **Never** make me look weak in front of an audience again.” He scolded her. 

“You know well of my _limitless compassion_ ,” She coldly referred to the night he left for battle. “Do try to refrain from such heartless acts in my presence.” A tirade was about to roll off her tongue on how much of a mistake it was to bring her here, and just how damned stubborn he was, but she was stopped short. 

A flash and a bang interrupted their argument. 

Not knowing how or when, Rin found herself on the ground, with Sesshomaru hovering over her. 

The encampment was under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/2  
> Head-viewing was a very real ceremony samurai practiced throughout the sengoku period. Typically, when a high-ranking samurai was killed in battle, the one who claimed their life would remove their head and carefully wrap it in cloth. Once the battle was over, the daimyo or general would hold a ceremony where soldiers would present the heads of their kills. It was taken very seriously, so much so that soldiers would put the heads in wooden boxes and write the name of the samurai on a plaque, they would even gussy up the head with makeup so they would look presentable. Low class infantry (ashigaru) had the opportunity of elevating their rank to samurai if their kill was a high priority target. 
> 
> 2/2  
> What Rin painted on her lips and cheeks was a makeup called “Beni” which is made from fermented safflower. This was used by Kikyo in the original series, when Inuyasha gave her a shell compact belonging to his mother with the red paint inside.


	8. Incursion

Fire and smoke billowed over the field, bits of falling embers illuminating the plumes like fireflies. Shouts of men rang in Rin’s ears left to right. She was held still in place by Sesshomaru, who shielded her from the blast which occurred mere moments before. With haste the inuyokai lifted her body entirely off the soil and carried her to a far end of the encampment, her hands grasping bunches of his mokomoko out of uncertainty and fear. 

“What’s happened?!” Rin shrieked in an anxious daze. 

“We’re under attack.” Her husband spat with gritted teeth. “No harm will come to you.” He assured, squeezing tightly at her skin. Surely he would have taken her far away from the warzone if he were able. But it was much too dangerous right now. 

“And what of you?” She winced with worry. He did not answer her. 

Finding a tent still standing, he placed her on her feet and addressed the three samurai still gathering their composure after the explosion. Royakan was among the trio. “Guard your Lady with your lives.” He commanded the samurai in a harsh and worried tone. With a nod the samurai obeyed. Turning back to his Lady wife just before leaving, he addressed her the same, yet softer. “ **You stay here.** ” Rin hadn’t a moment to object. 

The group still grounded watched as their Lord transformed into his inu form, large and menacing. Like a flash of lightning he strode away from the encampment to the source of the rumbling. Rin was still in shock from it all. 

“My Lady, are you hurt?” Royakan apprehensively approached the still shaken girl. 

“I don’t think so,” Rin exhaled out of relief. If she was, Sesshomaru would not have been as collected as he just appeared. “What’s going on? How did this happen?” Her curiosity was now roaring in high stride. 

“The Nisshoku have been quiet lately, this could be a planned retaliation.” The giant beast yokai fumbled his words, attempting his best to sound poised for his Lady. “They must be getting desperate.” 

Another explosion far off in the distance, even louder than the first, put everyone on high alert. “They’re getting too close to the encampment!!” One of the samurai shouted to the rest. 

Poking their heads from the base of the tent, they all knew well of what the samurai meant. Rin’s heart stopped in that moment. 

Facing what appeared to be a mountain which she was sure wasn’t there the night prior, it looked as if the mountain was moving on its own. But it wasn’t what it seemed. It was an inuyokai, fully transformed. With dreadful eyes and a piercing gaze terrifying enough to even give grown men nightmares. Fur pure white as virgin snow and eyes gleaming red as the setting sun, the beast had perched ears and a hideously pronounced jowl invoking fear. Dare she say the beast was as beautiful as it was terrifying. 

The impossibly large beast was roughly the size of Sesshomaru’s father’s bones. His father who was also of the Nisshoku clan. It occurred to Rin this must be the size of the Nisshoku clan member’s inu form. No wonder Sesshomaru requested aid in decimating this great clan. This was far from a feat he could accomplish on his own. So much in thinking he was the strongest daiyokai in all the lands. 

Searching the skies for any sign of her husband, all Rin could see for miles was chaos. Men gliding on various mounts of otherworldly means rode toward the mountainous inu, casting bolts of lightning and fire of all colors throughout. Some of the yokai were clear to point out, others remained a shadow plastered over the dimmed clouds encircled in smoke. 

One of the shadowy figures amongst the clouds was familiar to her. It was Sesshomaru’s armor-clad inu form. With haste he charged at the mountainous inuyokai with his great fangs, drawing blood at each nip he inflicted. The Nisshoku inu was slow, but not slow enough. Sesshomaru clearly took great caution with each approach. If he were to get caught in a single swipe, it might spell a devastating end for the young Lord. Rin held her breath at each attack of either daiyokai. She couldn’t imagine her life from then on if her Sesshomaru were to die now. 

Both inuyokai clashed among the clouds like a violent storm brewing. The girl anxiously awaited any sign of the battle turning in her husband’s favor. 

Stepping far back after one of Sesshomaru’s charges, the larger beast lunged onto his back. The sound of which nearly shattered her ears. And before a single thought, she found herself lying on her back dangled in between mounds of unused plates of armor. For a moment Rin feared she had drawn her last breath, that she was to die a third and final time. But forcing open her eyes made her realize she was merely pushed back by the gust of wind the blast conjured. 

It was then she heard yelling. Blood curdling screams of pain and fear. The desperate shrieks of which melted the lining of her belly in a most sickening notion. Rin couldn’t stand watch. Hastily picking herself onto her feet, she rushed toward the screams. Royakan instantly turned his attention back to the girl.

“Lady Rin, we were instructed to stay put!!” He darted out the tent right behind her. 

In no time Rin had located the source of the screams. Trapped underneath a shattered boulder lay a samurai in rich looking armor caked under bloodied dirt and ash. His markings and wild hair resembled that of a boar. 

“Help!! Anyone!!” The samurai’s eyes were clenched in wincing pain, woozily wailing his arms around the large rock in a feeble attempt at freeing himself. 

“We have to help him!” Rin knelt to the samurai’s level and desperately pried at the rocks to no avail. 

Leaving him no choice, Royakan succumbed to his Lady’s whims and used his bestial strength to lift the boulder off the samurai. They were met with a most gruesome sight. The samurai’s body was near separated from his waist down, merely held together by strings of intestine spread about. The man must have not been able to ascertain his state, as he still begged for help. Rin felt just as faint as she was sorrowful. There was only one thing she could do. 

Placing her warm hands on his cold and clammy cheeks, she stared into his eyes and smiled. “Help is coming.” She warmly assured with her voice soft and calm. The man’s worry seemed to have lessened a bit, as he stopped struggling and stared back at his Lady, admiring her beauty amidst the chaos.

The samurai drew his last breath before his eyes turned glassy and barren. For just a moment not a sound could be heard but that of wind blowing through the war-torn valley. 

“My Lady, we shouldn’t be out here in the open. It’s too dangerous…” Royakan rocked his eyes from side to side in worry. Knowing there was nothing more she could do here, Rin agreed with him, allowing the beast to escort her back inside the tent. 

Carefully stepping over mangled bodies leftover from the first blast, Royakan suddenly stopped guiding the Lady. Turning her head up to meet his face, she was met with an expression of extreme dread.

“We lucked out, boys.” An unfamiliar voice to their front froze them in place. “This is Lord Sesshomaru’s bitch.” Rin’s attention turned to five, no, six samurai approaching. Their armor did not don the colors of the Mikazuki clan. She was now stricken with terror at realizing the severity of the situation. 

Closing in on every end, the enemy samurai encircled the two, leaving no room for escape. 

“My Lady, stay back!!” Royakan begged under strained breath. Nodding fervently, Rin wouldn’t think twice to object his command. 

The beast yokai lunged at the first of the men with every fibre of his being, striking at the neck with his thick claws. The rest of the men simply watched, not at all concerned for their comrade’s wellbeing. Royakan’s strike drew blood, allowing Rin a small sigh of relief under the assumption she was in good care. 

Smirking ear to ear, the man who was struck grasped Royakan’s blood-soaked claw and ripped it right out of his cuticle. The yokai let out a short gasp as the enemy samurai spectating cackled. It dawned on Rin just how much in danger she was then in. 

A single strike from the enemy samurai lopped at the center of Royakan’s giant head. He looked back at his Lady one last moment before entirely falling victim to the devastating blow at the hand of the enemy. Almost like glass shattering on stone, his head crushed at the large energy blast. One of the deep azure, giant eyeballs popped out of his head, rolling to her feet. Bits of skull and brain scattered about the dirt and grass. Rin was just short of fainting. 

“I get fist dibs,” The presumed commander of the pack approached the panic-stricken girl from behind. “Human cunt isn’t my thing, but I’ll make an exception just this once.”

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on me! Lord Sesshomaru will show you no mercy otherwise.” The girl used every ounce of composure she had left in her petrified body in her command. She was smart enough to bring her dagger, she thought. There was no way she would be fast enough to strike all of them, or even two, but perhaps she could at least scratch just one of the men who tried to touch her. A scratch was all she would need to inflict for Sesshomaru’s poison to take effect, as she was told. Just one would be plenty, leaving just enough time for Sesshomaru to come to her rescue, as he always had. Clenching at the base of the kaiken underneath her obi, she was prepared for the worst. 

“Oh? Then where is he?” The yokai gestured his hands about, teasing her hopeful reasoning. 

One of the men invaded her personal barrier. He was much too close then. Rin debated pulling out her weapon. It was now or never. 

Before she even had the chance, a second man clenched her torso tight in his clutch. “Take these off, quickly!!” He cheered as he attempted to disrobe the girl. 

Rin yelled as high her lungs would allow. 

Just then a loud clash struck down at their feet. Each of the men fell over from the gust, with Rin falling atop one of the samurai still locked around her arms. A scream of unfiltered terror could be heard as Rin noticed one of the men’s heads rolling over the grass. Realizing she was being rescued, she desperately clawed her way out of the man’s arms she was still in. 

She could hear each of the men battling out the sudden threat imposed, to little avail. Kneeling over in a corner for safety, she held her head down to await the end of the assault. Screams of rage and clangs of weapons turned silent after a mere moment. Her attackers seemed to have all met their end. She hoped.

It was then she felt an arm around her waist, lifting her entirely off her feet. Someone had picked her up. Upon opening her eyes, Rin was met with the sight of mokomoko trailing in the wind at her feet. Turning her gaze in relief, she was instantly greeted with a face that was not her husband’s. Her relieved expression soured into worry. 

Though the face was familiar. A signature half-moon on his forehead, with wild and curled hair kept at bay in a single knot. Lazy golden eyes plastered over a bored demeanor. It was Ashino, Hangetsu’s Inu no Taisho. 

“You seem to have an attraction for trouble,” The general apathetically began. “I’ll have to keep an eye on you.” 

The calm man floated back to the ground in grace, taking care in placing the Lady properly on her feet. She had no idea how to react to or even begin to thank the Hangetsu general in that moment. She was too overwhelmed with everything that had happened. 

“Rin!” A familiar voice shouted her way at great speed. It was who she had been anxiously wanting to see for what seemed like ages already. 

“Sesshomaru!” The girl leapt into her husband’s arms with no shame or fear of prying eyes. He was alive, which meant he won his battle with the Nisshoku inuyokai. 

“Are you hurt?” He panted as he desperately searched around her fragile body for any hint of harm. 

“No, I’m fine,” She gasped in relief. She then noticed he wasn’t. He was injured, deeply. A large gash protruded from his left shoulder to his naval. But it seemed not as terrible for him to still be standing. Wanting to tend to him as quickly as possible, she realized she needed to mirror his regal composure. Now was not the time for coddling. “Ashino saved me.” She felt the need to assure him in his current state.

“You need to be more careful with your property, Lord Sesshomru.” Ashino lazily began. “These are turbulent times.” 

Did he say _property_? 

“Ashino, what is the meaning of this?” Sesshomaru snarled at the general, as if preparing for an altercation. “Where is Naramitsu?” 

“Lord Naramitsu is currently tending to other matters,” The unphased inuyokai scraped dirt from the underneath of his claws. “Hence why I’m here.” 

The men further touted back and fourth particulars of the sudden incursion, but Rin was too much in shock to focus on their words. She worried for her husband’s condition. Rudely ending their conversation, Ashino turned into a ball of light and darted across the field. Playing back the traumatic events in her mind, Rin suddenly remembered Royakan. Carefully tugging at Seshsomaru’s sleeves, she told of him the beast yokai’s fate. How he gave his life protecting her. 

“Please, you have to revive him!” Rin begged her husband as she grasped the edges of tenseiga’s guard. 

“I cannot.” He calmly stated, with but a hint of strain lining his voice. “I had already revived him weeks ago. Most of these soldiers had been resurrected with tenseiga.” 

Rin suddenly felt ill. 

Even though it wasn’t her soldier, her lands, her war, she still felt at fault. She hated nothing more than pointless death. And as Royakan had willfully laid down his life for his Lord, his Lady, and his cause, his end was exactly as Rin felt. Pointless. 

“…you’re hurt.” She carefully uttered her words, trying her best not to make her Lord look weak in the presence of the few samurai gathered in the area. 

At no consequence he reassured her with a kiss atop her ratted hair, paying no mind to his men. “I will heal.” 

The hours that followed were just as harrowing as the battle, perhaps worse. 

There were only three men who could be revived with tenseiga. 

Based upon Sesshomaru’s command, the men left standing worked on setting a pyre alight for the bodies. There were simply too many to sort for the arranging of proper funerals. Rin lay on the cold grass helpless, with nothing to do but spectate as she bundled in Sesshomaru’s mokomoko, who had completely detached it from his body to keep her warm as he instructed his men. Within the furry appendage she could feel a slight pumping similar to that of a heartbeat.

Approaching his Lady wife, having finished in addressing his men, Sesshomaru nestled his strong grasp around Rin’s shoulders and guided her to her feet. “We’re done here.” Was all he said as he gently lifted her lithe body into his arms, ascending into the sky. 

Rin watched the pyre burn high and bright as she held close to her husband’s breastplate. The bitter winds nipped at her skin and began to sting, sending shivers down to her ankles. Somehow she only just noticed how dreadfully cold it was. Sesshomaru caressed her frigid cheek with the tip of his warmed nose and murmured soothing words in her ear. “We will be home soon.” But it wasn’t the castle in the sky he spoke of. He flew in a different direction. Further toward the west.


End file.
